Women leaders launch #WeNeedToTalk campaign to put climate back on the agenda

Network of 1,000+ women leaders calls on global leaders to put climate back on the agenda, not just at COP31, but all year round.

[Antalya, 10 November 2026] – Women Leading on Climate today launches #WeNeedToTalk, a global call for politicians, business leaders, and the media to put climate change and its solutions back on the agenda - not just at COP31, but beyond.

As global leaders gather for COP31, the climate crisis is getting worse while clean energy has never been cheaper or more available. 

Yet outside of the annual COP climate talks, climate is being regularly left off key agendas. It was not included in the G7 agenda in Paris in April, and will not be on the agenda for next month’s G20 either - which is instead restricted to deregulation, energy supply and the impact of AI.

Meanwhile, public opinion wants to see greater climate action, with four in five people worldwide wanting their governments to do more.

On 10 November, Women Leading on Climate is launching its #WeNeedToTalk campaign to highlight why climate change and its solutions need to be put on the agenda all year round as an urgent priority because climate solutions are ready to scale and deliver enormous benefits for health, jobs, energy security and bills.

The ask

• Political leaders: speak up about the threats we face and the commitments you have made, especially when they are under attack.

• CEOs and investors: talk plainly about climate risks to the economy and your business, and the climate solutions that are working.

• Media: keep climate in the headlines, reporting solutions as well as setbacks.

• Everyone, especially women: use your voice. Make the case for action in your organisation and community, and back others who speak up.

The evidence behind the campaign:

• Fossil fuel emissions have reached new highs in each of the last four years.

• Global news coverage of climate change has fallen 38% since its peak in 2021, according to the Media and Climate Change Observatory at the University of Colorado Boulder.

• Climate was not on the agenda when G7 environment ministers met in April, and it is not expected to feature at next month's G20.

• We cannot afford to lose momentum behind climate solutions. We must enable leaders to harness them now, along with the economic, health and security benefits they bring. The world added a record 814 gigawatts of new solar and wind capacity in 2025, one in four new cars sold was electric, and clean energy is set to attract nearly twice the investment of fossil fuels this year.

Catherine McKenna, co-founder of Women Leading on Climate, said: "Too many politicians and business leaders aren’t talking about climate change. Meanwhile, the fossil fuel climate crisis is getting worse. But clean solutions like solar, wind, and electric vehicles are only getting better and cheaper. We know that silence won't solve climate change. That’s why Women Leading on Climate is mobilizing women around the world to speak up, share their stories, and break the silence. We need to put climate action back on the agenda, not just at COP, but every single day."

Maria Mendiluce, co-founder of Women Leading on Climate, said: "When women use their influence together, decisions change. #WeNeedToTalk is an invitation to use that influence, and to remind leaders to be courageous because the public is with them and the solutions to the climate crisis are here and ready to scale. Everyone at COP is here because they care about climate, we urge them to keep it on the agenda even when the cameras are gone and decisions return to cabinet tables, boardrooms and budgets."

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Notes to editors

• Women Leading on Climate is a network of more than 1,000 women leaders in government, business and international organisations from 35 countries, founded by Catherine McKenna and Maria Mendiluce. 

• Women in the network are focused on local action, and have come together to amplify their impact, including through highly successful social media campaigns reaching 18 million people worldwide.

• In 2024, when the first COP29 organising committee was announced without a single woman, network members spoke out and twelve women were subsequently added. 

• Women Leading on Climate has established nine national chapters, which are working on the local level to create change

• Why women, and why now?
  Women leaders are very active in the climate space and research shows that women are 2.5 times more likely to raise the topic of climate. The aim of the campaign is to harness this passion and keep the conversation going to drive the action needed. Women Leading on Climate brings together more than 1,000 influential women leaders from government, business and international organisations in 35 countries, with nine national chapters. Its members have seen what collective action can do. 

  • When the first COP29 organising committee was announced without a single woman, network members spoke out and twelve women were subsequently added. 

  • In Canada, 250 women signed an open letter warning regulators that delaying corporate climate disclosures puts the economy at risk. 

  • In Brazil, women presented detailed recommendations on a just transition to the COP30 President. 

To take part in the #WeNeedToTalk campaign, visit: https://www.womenleadingonclimate.org/cop31-campaign 

Media contacts: Pascale Palmer, Director of Media, We Mean Business Coalition, ppalmer@wmbcoalition.org tel. +44 7432533080. Please note Pascale will be on the ground in Antalya throughout COP31 

About Women Leading on Climate: 

Women Leading on Climate is a global network bringing together women leaders from government, business and international organisations to share knowledge, build connections and turn collective influence into climate action. From high-level convenings and executive-level knowledge sharing to public campaigns and thought leadership, Women Leading On Climate creates opportunities for women across sectors and regions to connect, collaborate and amplify their impact on climate. 1,000+ influential women leaders in 35 countries are now part of the network. Nine countries have established their own regional chapters.