WECAN is just returning from a whirlwind of activities and advocacy in New York, where we participated in Climate Week 2024 held during the UN Summit of the Future and the UN General Assembly. Amidst the dialogues and discussions, WECAN presented our strategies, solutions, and policy analysis, pushing forward the message to end the era of fossil fuels and advance a Just Transition!
As part of our advocacy efforts in New York, WECAN hosted and co-hosted many events to amplify the climate solutions of women in all their diversity worldwide. We released and shared reports on climate justice policies and the impacts of the fossil fuel industry; participated in marches and actions to end the era of fossil fuels; held strategy sessions with frontline leaders and colleagues in preparation for the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) COP16, UNFCCC COP29 and COP30; accelerated the movement to implement Rights of Nature and Indigenous Rights globally; contributed to the collective movement for climate justice; and announced the WECAN 2025 Global Women’s Assembly for Climate Justice: On the Path to COP30 and Beyond.
We were also very honored to accompany and support Indigenous and frontline women leaders from Brazil, Ecuador, Peru and the United States. While the climate crisis is escalating, so are our collective efforts for climate action now!
Please read on in this blog post to find:
WECAN’s Top Line Climate Week analysis
A full recap of WECAN advocacy and events at Climate Week
WECAN reports and policy documents released at Climate Week
Announcement of the WECAN 2025 Global Women’s Assembly for Climate Justice
Media Highlights
WECAN TOP LINE CLIMATE WEEK ANALYSIS |
During Climate Week the Planetary Guardians shared their research from scientists stating that the Earth has already overshot key planetary boundaries, pushing ecosystems and communities beyond safe limits while increasing health and safety risks including food, energy, and water insecurity. While significant damage to the Earth’s nine essential life sustaining planetary boundaries has occurred, scientists emphasize that there is still time to avert worst impacts, but only if we act immediately.
Within this context, WECAN pressed onward at Climate Week, highlighting the tireless and inspiring efforts of women across the globe who are driving innovative, community-led solutions at the forefront of climate action. The antidote to business as usual are the solutions of women and frontline communities who are simultaneously the most impacted by the climate crisis but also the most effective leaders in climate solutions.
Throughout Climate Week, there were copious events showcasing corporate greenwashing and the amplification of false climate solutions. Once again, corporate and fossil fuel interests attempted to dominate the space with false solutions such as carbon offsets, carbon markets, and geo-engineering— strategies that do little to address the root causes of the crisis, and continue to be dangerous distractions to governments, financial institutions, funders, and businesses seeking to support climate action. These false solutions are often directly tied to the fossil fuel industry, allowing the industry to continue with business as usual instead of cutting emissions at the source and implementing an urgent and immediate fossil fuel phaseout.
Sadly, the lack of bold action to stop fossil fuel expansion and address the climate crisis remained alarmingly evident at the close of Climate Week. Hurricane Helene devastated communities across the southeastern United States while simultaneously, other deadly floods raged in Nepal, Bangladesh and India. Each year, communities are experiencing record-breaking weather disasters, and scientists have made it clear that these disasters are a direct result of global warming. The climate emergency is happening right now, and corporate interests can no longer dictate what constitutes climate policy and action— we need community-led climate justice solutions and strategies to ensure a robust and effective response, and we need these now!
Amidst these challenges, the Pact of the Future—a key outcome of the United Nations Summit of the Future—was agreed to by countries during Climate Week. Though the Pact is far from sufficient to meet the interlocking crises we face, there are elements in the Pact that are leverage points to be utilized in collective advocacy efforts going forward. Thanks to sustained pressure by civil society and several leading countries, the Pact calls for countries to “transition away from fossil fuels," a commitment agreed to last year at COP28 in Dubai. While this language continues to allow for weak action and greenwashing, we acknowledge the important visibility of fossil fuels at the forefront of government climate discourse and action as we head into COP29 and the next round of the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), due in early 2025.
During the UN General Assembly, there was momentum for the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, as the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), announced their official endorsement of the Treaty initiative, becoming the 14th nation to do so. Former UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, President David Ranibok Adeang of the Republic of Nauru, and Prime Minister Feleti Teo of Tuvalu, all expressed their support for the Treaty as well, urging all countries to support this initiative for a healthy and equitable future. WECAN is honored to be a partner in advocating for this vital initiative widely as Osprey Orielle Lake, WECAN Executive Director, sits on the Steering Committee for the Fossil Fuel Treaty.
Through WECAN events and those of many of our partners, it was evident that women are crucial in securing protections for people and the planet. Whether it’s on the frontlines of resistance to fossil fuels, protecting and replanting forests, creating food sovereignty networks, or advocating for bold and transformative climate policies at international forums— women are leading the way!
In addition to supporting women-led solutions and leadership, It is essential to collectively recognize, understand, and transform the dominant social constructs that are at the root of environmental degradation and interconnected injustices. In order to do this, WECAN is calling for a transformation of how we relate to the natural world and one another, transitioning from an extractivist, colonial paradigm to a sustainable, globally-conscious paradigm of respect, restore and replenish grounded in climate justice frameworks.
There is still time to halt the worst impacts of the climate crisis, and we will not turn away from the harms occurring right now due to the fossil fuel industry and climate-fueled disasters — we must continue to act together to urgently phase out fossil fuels, accelerate a Just Transition, protect human and Indigenous rights, uplift women’s leadership, ensure biodiversity protection, and build the world we know is desperately needed and possible.
WECAN and our partners are now preparing for the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) COP16 in Colombia and the UNFCCC COP29 in Baku knowing that we must hold governments and financial institutions accountable and push for justice and safety for communities globally. We will not back down.
Thank you for being in this movement with us to transform and create a healthy and just world for people and planet!
CLIMATE WEEK REPORT BACK & RECORDINGS |
Please see below coverage of events and actions WECAN hosted, co-hosted, and engaged in over the course of Climate Week in New York City. Please find a photo album of all our activities on our Facebook here!
Women on the Frontlines of the Climate Crisis:
Ending the Era of Fossil Fuels and Implementing Solutions
On September 25, WECAN hosted an inspiring and strategic Climate Week Forum, “Women on the Frontlines of the Climate Crisis: Ending the Era of Fossil Fuels and Implementing Solutions.”
Throughout the event, women leaders in all their diversity shared comprehensive and intersectional approaches and strategies to stop fossil fuel extraction, accelerate community-led climate solutions, and lead a Just Transition grounded in a climate justice framework. We heard about projects and advocacy efforts to defend Indigenous and human rights, the Rights of Nature, biodiverse ecosystems, and also strategic preparations for COP29 and COP30 and advancing transformative policies for our collective future. We thank the amazing panelists for sharing their expertise, stories, and solutions— we are moving forward with renewed hope in the power of our collective movements for climate justice!
Click the buttons below for recordings
of the event across multiple platforms:
Many thanks to the powerful speakers:
Federal Deputy Célia Xakriabá (Xakriabá), Member of the Brazil Chamber of Deputies from Minas Gerais State, and Co-founder of The National Association of Indigenous Ancestral Women Warriors (ANMIGA), Brazil
Casey Camp Horinek (Ponca Nation), Environmental Ambassador for the Ponca Nation, Board Member and Project Coordinator for WECAN, Turtle Island/USA
Olivia Tirko Bisa (Chapra), President of the Chapra Nation of the Peruvian Amazon, Peru
Jacqui Patterson, Founder and Executive Director of The Chisholm Legacy Project, 2024 TIME Women of the Year, and Earth Award recipient, Turtle Island/USA
Secretary Puyr Tembé (Tembé), Secretary of Indigenous Peoples of the State of Pará in Brazil, and Co-founder of The National Association of Indigenous Ancestral Women Warriors (ANMIGA), Brazil
Roishetta Ozane, Founder of Vessel Project of Louisiana, and Gulf Fossil Finance Coordinator for the Texas Campaign for the Environment Fund, Turtle Island/USA
Eriel Tchekwie Deranger (Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation), Executive Director of Indigenous Climate Action, Turtle Island/Canada
Patricia Gualinga (Kichwa), Spokeswoman for Mujeres Amazónicas Defensoras de la Selva, Project Coordinator in Ecuador for WECAN, Ecuador
Farhana Yamin, Coordinator for the Climate Justice & Just Transition Donor Collaborative, United Kingdom
Tzeporah Berman, Chair of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, Turtle Island/Canada
Tara Daniels, Senior Policy Manager for the Women’s Environment and Development Organization (WEDO), Turtle Island/USA
Osprey Orielle Lake, Founder and Executive Director of Women’s Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN), Turtle Island/USA
Transforming Global Economies:
From Extraction to Regeneration in a Just Transition
WECAN hosted a virtual Climate Week event, "Transforming Global Economies: From Extraction to Regeneration in a Just Transition," to discuss how we can change our global economic system and champion a regenerative, rights-based approach that prioritizes communities and nature, tackling the root causes of our intertwined social, economic, and climate crises. During the event global women leaders advocated for a Just Transition and innovative, socially just, place-based, and ecologically enriching economic models that offer a clear path to a thriving future for all.
Click the buttons below for recordings
of the event across multiple platforms:
Many thanks to the speakers:
Faith Lumonya, Economic Justice and Climate Action Lead, Akina Mama Wa Afrika, Uganda
Monique Verdin (Houma Nation), WECAN Food Sovereignty Program Coordinator in the Gulf South, Director of Land Memory Bank & Seed Exchange, Turtle Island/USA
Monica Chuji Gualinga (Kichwa), Deputy Director for Latin America for the Indigenous Peoples Rights International (IPRI); Former Minister of Communication and Constituent Assembly Member for Ecuador; Member of the Sarayaku Community of Sucumbios and a part of the Tukui Shimi & All Voices organizations, Ecuador
Johannah Bernstein, Senior Policy Lead, Earth4All, Switzerland
Helena Norberg-Hodge, Founder and Director of Local Futures, United Kingdom
Zukiswa White, Coordinator for the Women and Gender Constituency, South Africa
Osprey Orielle Lake, Founder and Executive Director of Women’s Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN), Turtle Island/USA
Spotlighting WECAN Reports at Climate Week
During Climate Week, WECAN released and shared several reports, toolkits, and policy analyses while engaging with government officials and partner organizations.
On September 25, during the UN General Assembly, WECAN released a set of climate justice recommendations and guidance for governments to consider for their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), due in early 2025. The recommendations urge governments to catalyze women’s leadership, uphold Indigenous rights, protect biodiversity, phase out fossil fuels, and advance a Just Transition.
Read the full report here 👉https://www.wecaninternational.org/ndc-recommendations
Osprey Orielle Lake sharing WECAN's Climate Justice recommendations and guidance for the NDCs with Bolivian Senator, Cecilia Isabel Requena Zárate.
In addition to the recommendations, WECAN also shared our following reports:
The world is at a pivotal juncture, and interfacing with government officials and representatives is vital to ensure that a feminist climate justice analysis is part of climate action. Governments must listen to civil society and global climate movements to best inform and strengthen their NDCs, and climate policies and programs.
Left: Osprey Orielle Lake, WECAN Executive Director, shares WECAN's "Escazú Agreement Toolkits for Women Land Defenders and Frontline Communities," with Sônia Guajajara, Minister for Indigenous Peoples, Brazil. Photo Credit: WECAN
Right: Ambassador Leonor Zalabata of Colombia to the UN, Ambassador of the Environment for the Ponca Nation Casey Camp-Horinek and Julie Horinek of the Ponca Nation met at Climate Week to discuss a GMO Trees Ban. Photo courtesy of Casey Camp-Horinek
Strategic Engagements on the Road to COP29 and COP30
Throughout Climate Week, WECAN met with global partners to discuss strategies and actions for Indigenous rights, gender-responsive climate policies, fossil fuel phaseout, community led solutions, Rights of Nature, and a Just Transition on the road to upcoming international forums and conferences. Together, we are forging pathways for a healthy and equitable future, ensuring that the voices of women and Indigenous leaders are at the forefront of climate justice!
We met with partners from Brazil to discuss advocacy collaborations for the UN Convention on Biological Diversity COP16 in Cali, Colombia, COP29 in Baku, and COP30 in Belem. Indigenous women in Brazil and throughout Latin America are reforesting hearts and minds, and we are honored to be in collaboration to build a vision for COP30 that puts the solutions, expertise, and knowledge of Indigenous women at the center. Particularly, WECAN is honored to be in a formal partnership with The National Association of Indigenous Ancestral Women Warriors (ANMIGA).
We met with Federal Deputy Célia Xakriabá (Xakriabá), Member of the Brazil Chamber of Deputies from Minas Gerais State, and Co-founder of The National Association of Indigenous Ancestral Women Warriors (ANMIGA) and Secretary Puyr Tembé (Tembé), Secretary of Indigenous Peoples of the State of Pará in Brazil, and Co-founder of The National Association of Indigenous Ancestral Women Warriors (ANMIGA), to further discuss opportunities for strategic engagement and advocacy.
We also were honored to meet with spokeswoman for Mujeres Amazónicas Defensoras de la Selva and WECAN Project Coordinator in Ecuador, Patricia Gualinga, and members of the Women’s Association of Sarayaku to share updates on our WECAN reforestation and forest protection project in the Ecuadorian Amazon.
These leaders understand the intrinsic relationship between the health of our planet and the well-being of our communities. As the climate crisis deepens, the wisdom of Indigenous women offers a pathway to regenerate ecosystems, address biodiversity loss, and restore balance between humanity and the Earth.
Left: WECAN with Brazil colleagues from the National Articulation of Ancestral Warriors Women (ANMIGA), which is a large articulation of Indigenous Women from all biomes in Brazil. Photo Credit: WECAN
Right: WECAN with partners from the Sarayaku community in Ecuador. Throughout the week, we were so glad to connect with amazing Sarayaku leaders from the WECAN Ecuadorian Amazon Reforestation and Restoration Project. Photo Credit: WECAN
The Story is in Our Bones: How Worldviews and Climate Justice Can Remake a World in Crisis
Ahead of Climate Week and the UN General Assembly, WECAN Executive Director, Osprey Orielle Lake, met with students at Columbia University for a special talk detailing the information in her award-winning book, "The Story is in Our Bones: How Worldviews and Climate Justice Can Remake a World in Crisis."
Many thanks to the team at Columbia University for organizing this event.
Women and Feminists for Climate Justice Contingent at the Global Climate Strike
On September 20, 2024, WECAN and partners participated in the Global Climate Strike marching together as a women and feminists for climate justice contingent.
We joined thousands of people in New York City and across the world to demand governments take action to end the era of fossil fuels, pay up on climate finance, and advance gender-just climate solutions for people and planet.
This strike organized by youth leaders, came ahead of the UN General Assembly Climate Week and the Summit of the Future, and included a powerful rally of frontline and Indigenous leaders who were in town for Climate Week and the UNGA.
Towards a More Inclusive COP29: Mainstreaming key gender equality and intersectionality considerations for achieving climate justice
This event was part of the global effort to advance a climate justice agenda leading to COP29 and was organized by the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance & Gender Hub Azerbaijan. The event was co-hosted in partnership with UN Women, the Women’s Major Group, the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the United Nations, and other members of the COP29 Organizing Committee.
Osprey Orielle Lake, WECAN Executive Director, spoke at the event uplifting climate justice solutions, the need for governments to make strong commitments to the Gender Action Plan, and feminist climate finance at COP29.
Financing the Future: Aligning Finance with the Paris Agreement's Promise
Casey Camp-Horinek (Ponca Nation), Environmental Ambassador for the Ponca Nation, and WECAN Board Member spoke at this finance event on Saturday, September 21, co-hosted by Parliamentarians for a Fossil-Free Future, Rainforest Action Network (RAN), and Asian Peoples' Movement on Debt and Development (APMDD).
During the event leading policymakers from Global South and Global North, industry experts, and leaders on the frontlines discussed strategies for financing a sustainable future. From ending financing for fossil fuel expansion to green investments, speakers explored how finance can play a crucial role in achieving the promises of the Paris Agreement.
6th International Rights of Nature Tribunal
End of the Fossil Fuel Era -1st session-
On Sunday, September 22, WECAN, the Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature (GARN), and other partner organizations co-hosted the 6th International Rights of Nature Tribunal where we heard powerful testimonies and critical analysis from frontline leaders and experts who shared exactly how the fossil fuel industry has violated Nature's rights, Human and Indigenous rights, and how Rights of Nature is a solution to the worsening climate crisis.
Cases covered false climate solutions, pipeline projects, oil spills, and sacrifice zones in regions that included the Amazon Rainforest in Peru, the Verde Island Passage in the Philippines, the coastlines of Mozambique, and many other regions of the world. Thank you to the frontline leaders and experts who shared their knowledge and expertise about these critical issues happening globally.
The Tribunal judges deliberated and ruled that fossil fuels are violating the Rights of Nature across the world. The Tribunal shed light on why governments and financial institutions must enact an urgent fossil fuel phaseout for communities and Mother Earth.
Watch the livestream here: https://tinyurl.com/2hz7ztr4
WECAN Executive Director, Osprey Orielle Lake served as a judge of the Tribunal and during her closing speech she shared an announcement about a new Rights of Nature effort, "A Global Initiative for a Universal Declaration on the Rights of Nature: Pathways to Establish a Mechanism for Endorsement and Adoption by World Governments." This initiative forms a strategy for national and subnational governments to have a mechanism for countries to adopt a Universal Declaration on the Rights of Nature, which would draw upon a foundational document, the Universal Declaration on the Rights of Mother Earth drafted in 2010. To learn more about this burgeoning initiative, please visit the webpage here.
Left: Olivia Bisa Tirko, President of the Chapra Nation, provides powerful testimony on the fossil fuel projects harming her community in the Peruvian Amazon during the Rights of Nature Tribunal at Climate Week. Photo Credit: Ashley Guardado/WECAN
Right: Osprey Orielle Lake, WECAN Executive Director, presenting the "Global Initiative for a Universal Declaration on the Rights of Nature" during the Rights of Nature Tribunal at Climate Week 2024. Photo Credit: Ashley Guardado/WECAN
CitiBank Shutdown Action
WECAN was in action on Monday, September 23 with community members of the Gulf South, Indigenous frontline leaders from the Global South, and partners and allies to demand CitiBank and all financial institutions listen to frontline communities and stop financing fossil fuels— we want no more sacrifice people and no more sacrifice zones!
Fossil fuels are leading to environmental destruction and severe health and safety harms for communities globally, and financial institutions are complicit in these harms. We need financial institutions to join commitments to end the era of fossil fuels and address the multiple and interlocking crises facing communities and ecosystems around the world.
Read more about the health and safety impacts facing women in all their diversity in the Gulf South and across North America in our recently released report, "The Gendered and Racial Impacts of the Fossil Fuel Industry in North America and Complicit Financial Institutions (fourth edition)" here.
Left: Sharon Lavigne, Founder of Rise St. James, speaks out about the harms of the fossil fuel and petrochemical industries in her community of St. James Parish, Louisiana during the CitiBank Shutdown action at Climate Week. Photo Credit: Ashley Guardado/WECAN
Right: Olivia Bisa Tirko, President of the Chapra Nation, at the action to offer testimony on the fossil fuel projects harming her community in the Peruvian Amazon. Photo Credit: Ashley Guardado/WECAN
Indigenous Women's Leadership in Biodiversity Protection
During Climate Week, Amazon Watch and WECAN co-hosted a panel as part of the Daughters for Earth event on September 24, dedicated to amplifying women’s voices and wisdom in biodiversity protection and climate change.
Nina Gualinga, an Indigenous leader from the Sarayaku community in Ecuador moderated the panel discussion with speakers Samai Gualinga, Vice President of the Kichwa People of Sarayaku from Ecuador, and Fany Kuiru Castro, Colombian Indigenous Leader and General Coordinator for the Coordinating Body of Indigenous Organisations of the Amazon Basin (COICA).
Samai and Fany shared about efforts to stop the expansion of fossil fuels in the Amazon Rainforest, why it is vital to the world to protect their territories, and how Indigenous women are at the forefront of environmental protection and climate action. Many thanks to the speakers and our partners for co-coordinating this special event!
GARN Indigenous Council Gathering
This in-person gathering of the GARN Indigenous Council facilitated discussion about the participation of Indigenous peoples advocating for the Rights of Nature in upcoming international spaces, specifically the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) COP16 and the UNFCCC COP29.
The Indigenous Council is a space for GARN's wisdom keepers through which the Alliance seeks to be in permanent compliance with the principles of reciprocity with Nature, which is part of the Indigenous cosmovision.
WECAN staff participated in the discussions, and look forward to participating and supporting the ongoing advocacy efforts of the Indigenous Council.
High-Impact Climate Action with the Rights of Nature
During Climate Week, the Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature (GARN) hosted an event at the Explorers Club to highlight the fundamental changes needed in our everyday lives to protect nature as climate change unfolds. Speakers shared about the current work happening to protect the Rights of Nature and how protecting Nature can be a key solutions to the climate crisis.
Casey Camp-Horinek (Ponca Nation), Environmental Ambassador for the Ponca Nation and WECAN Board Member and Project Coordinator, and Patricia Gualinga (Kichwa), Spokeswoman for Mujeres Amazónicas Defensoras de la Selva, and WECAN Project Coordinator in Ecuador both spoke on the panel highlighting their efforts to support Rights of Nature.
Gender and Environment Data Alliance: Bridging Data and Action in the Lead-up to COP29
During this event members of the Gender and Environment Data Alliance (GEDA) explored the importance of data to advance and monitor gender-response climate action, particularly with a focus on the UNFCCC gender and transparency processes.
Katherine Quaid (Confederated Tribes of Umatilla), WECAN Communications and Outreach Coordinator, spoke on the panel of GEDA members and small grant winners. WECAN is honored to be a member of GEDA and continue sharing and creating gender-disaggregated data to inform policy actions.
Media Highlights |
Please find key media highlights and coverage from Climate Week and beyond. You can see all media coverage on our website here.
Inside Climate News - In the Heart of Wall Street, Rights of Nature Activists Put the Fossil Fuel Era on Trial
Truthout - Fossil Fuel Industry Disproportionately Harms Low-Income Women, Women of Color
Report.Az - UN hosts joint event of Azerbaijani and foreign NGOs for COP29
EHN - The fossil fuel industry is disproportionately harming low-income and minority women: Report
WPR - Opponents say more than 150K people are against Line 5 pipeline reroute
Humanize.Today - ‘Rights of Nature Tribunal’ Seeks to ‘End Fossil Fuel Era’
Posko News - Fossil Fuel Industry Disproportionately Harms Low-Income Women and Women of Color
Redaktor - A joint event of local and foreign NGOs related to COP29 was HELD
Top Buzz Times - Joint event of local and foreign NGOs related to COP29 was held at the UN
Grit Daily - Rights of Nature Puts Fossil Fuels on Trial in NYC
National Review - ‘Rights of Nature Tribunal’ Seeks to ‘End Fossil Fuel Era’
Prism - Tribunal aims to highlight Rights of Nature at Climate Week in NYC
MEDIA SPOTLIGHT:
In addition to the media hits mentioned above, WECAN also participated in a media campaign to urge leaders to "turn the page and move forward on climate change."
Published as a full page in the New York Times on Sunday, September 29, the letter, signed by global leaders, including Osprey Orielle Lake, WECAN Executive Director, encourages sustained U.S. leadership and action on climate finance.
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