COP30 opened earlier this week in Belém, Brazil, with an urgent call for action that echoes across the world and resonates deeply for Australia and the Pacific.
Delegates are reminded that the era of half-measures is over: climate change is devastating communities, driving up social and economic costs, but solutions are within reach if we are bold and decisive. Leaders, including Brazil’s President Lula, have warned that climate change is already a tragedy, not a distant threat, and that ” “This is the moment to match opportunity with urgency”.
Climate change is not gender neutral.
Women and girls bear the brunt of the climate crisis. While women and girls are more at risk of the impacts of climate change and disasters than men and boys, they are also positive agents of innovative solutions, and their contributions are crucial for sustainable development. Yet, their voices continue to be left out from climate policy negotiations.
In Australia and the Pacific, the impacts are immediate and personal for women – whether facing the devastation of floods and fires or carrying the responsibility to rebuild homes and communities afterwards. After disasters, women often carry much of the unpaid recovery work and face increased risks such as family violence. And in our region, and especially for our Pacific family, people face climate extremes as the ‘’new normal.” Pacific communities are on the frontlines of sea level rise, cyclones, and food insecurity – realities women shoulder every day. Yet Pacific women are also the backbone of adaptation and recovery, finding ways to feed families and keep markets alive against the odds. UN Women’s Markets for Change program is transforming this resilience into real power: partnering with market vendors across Fiji, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu to design cyclone-resistant infrastructure, deliver financial and business training, and create safe spaces. These markets are more than economic lifelines – they are hubs of women’s leadership in building more climate-resilient communities.
UN Women’s 2025 Gender Snapshot report notes that by 2050, under a worst-case climate scenario, up to 158.3 million more women and girls may live in extreme poverty (under $2.15 per day) globally as a result of climate change.
In response, UN Women is scaling up regionally focused programs that put women’s leadership and resilience at the heart of climate action.
The “Markets for Change” initiative operates in Fiji, Samoa, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu, working to make marketplaces safer and more inclusive for women vendors, strengthen market governance, and advance women’s economic opportunities through leadership and financial training. UN Women’s ongoing support for “Women’s Weather Watch” in Fiji empowers rural women to access and disseminate early warnings, lead community response, and take an active role in local disaster planning, ensuring women’s needs are considered in emergency management.
Australia’s presence at COP30 is grounded in new climate plans released in September 2025.
The plans set out clear national priorities: adapting to unavoidable climate impacts, reducing emissions, and contributing fairly to global action. Australia’s first National Climate Risk Assessment identifies the biggest threats facing communities, while the National Adaptation Plan outlines steps for safer, more resilient responses in a rapidly changing climate. The Net Zero Plan establishes a pathway for a fair and efficient transition, backed by the nation’s new 2035 target to reduce emissions by 62–70% below 2005 levels – one of the most ambitious commitments Australia has ever made.
In the face of intensifying climate impacts and a global pushback against previously agreed commitments on gender equality and human rights, COP30 must serve as a moment of renewed commitment to effective climate action. These plans, combined with international partnerships and the work showcased at COP30, demonstrate Australia’s determination to build a safer and more prosperous future for all Australians and our region.
At COP30 and back home, one truth is undeniable: There will be no climate justice without gender justice. The stakes are high, but the opportunity is greater: By listening to and investing in women, Australia and our Pacific neighbours can turn climate crisis into a moment of bold, lasting progress.
Let’s make COP30 the turning point where Australia puts women at the centre – not the sidelines – of climate solutions. Our future, and our region’s, depends on it.
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