GWL Voices Launches New Spotlight Report on Women in Global Climate and Environmental Leadership

GWL Voices is proud to launch its new Spotlight Report on Women in Global Climate and Environmental Leadership at an official event of London Climate Action Week 2026, bringing together women climate leaders from across generations, think tanks, research institutes, and civil society to discuss the future of gender-equal climate governance.

The report examines women's representation and leadership across seven of the most influential global climate and environmental institutions: the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

Drawing on historical data, policy analysis, literature review, and interviews with leading women climate advocates, the report provides a comprehensive picture of progress made—and the barriers that remain.

The Spotlight analyzes:

• Women's leadership from 1972 to 2025 across seven key climate and environmental institutions, including Executive Secretaries, Executive Directors, CEOs, and other senior leadership positions.
• Women's historical representation as COP Presidents across the Climate, Biodiversity, and Desertification Conventions.
• Women's participation in key roles at the most recent COPs of the three Rio Conventions, including Heads of Delegation, Bureau Members, National Focal Points, and Gender Focal Points.
• Existing research and literature on gender and environmental governance.
• Interviews with GWL Voices members and global leaders working at the forefront of climate governance.
• Institutional policies affecting recruitment, leadership development, accountability, workplace culture, and gender equality.

Key Findings

The data reveals persistent gender gaps across global climate and environmental governance:

• Across the seven institutions analysed, women have held leadership positions in only 30.3% of all observed years.
• Women have made up just over one fourth of all climate COP Presidents since 1995.
• The Desertification Convention records the lowest representation, with women holding only 12% of COP Presidencies.
• The Biodiversity Convention performs comparatively better, with higher levels of women's representation among COP Presidents, Party Delegates, Heads of Delegation, and COP Bureau members—demonstrating that institutional policies can make a measurable difference.
• Women are 15% less likely than men to serve as their country's Head of Delegation.
• In gender-specific roles, representation is significantly higher, with women comprising 90% of National Gender Focal Points.
• While anti-harassment and recruitment policies are now common, fewer institutions have established the leadership pipelines, monitoring systems, and accountability mechanisms needed to address gender imbalances in decision-making.

Learning from Women Climate Leaders

The report features insights and reflections from leading women who have shaped global climate governance, including María Fernanda Espinosa, Patricia Espinosa, Christiana Figueres, Rachel Kyte, and Melanne Verveer.

Their experiences demonstrate the transformative impact women have had on climate diplomacy and environmental leadership, while offering valuable lessons for building more inclusive and effective institutions in the future.

The Path Forward

The climate and environmental crises require decision-making that is both fair and effective. Yet failing to equally represent half of the world's population in positions of leadership limits our ability to deliver the solutions these challenges demand.

The findings make clear that gender equality in climate and environmental governance is not only a matter of representation—it is essential for stronger institutions, better policies, and more effective global responses.

Download the full GWL Voices Spotlight Report on Women in Global Climate and Environmental Leadership to explore the data, findings, and recommendations.