Climate Sisters and reflections of COP: How Climate Sisters is changing who gets a seat at the climate table
When the world gathered in Glasgow for COP26 back in 2021, the theme was “Together for Our Planet.” But for many women, particularly those from marginalised and racialised communities, it didn’t feel that way. Barriers to access, representation and visibility were everywhere. This injustice is the reason Climate Sisters’ exists.
A movement created at COP
The Climate Sisters project began in Glasgow when Zarina Ahmad, now Co-Director at Wen, took the Local Women of the World project she created to COP26 – in collaboration with Wen.
The Local Women of the World fringe event at COP26 was a collaboration between two groups of women, the Glasgow Sisters and Support Action Women’s Network (SAWN) Sisters. It was during one of these sessions that the name Climate Sisters was chosen, marking the start of a new movement for women’s climate leadership.
Many wanted to keep the dialogue going, appreciating the importance of a resourced, inclusive space where women could share knowledge and take action on the issues that matter most to their communities.
“We wanted to create a space where women could realise that they already hold powerful knowledge,” Zarina explains. “Knowledge that comes from lived experience, from culture, and from community – and that this knowledge has value in tackling the climate crisis.”
From 12 women in Glasgow to a national network
What began as a small pilot of 12 women has grown into a thriving national network of hundreds. After Glasgow, Climate Sisters expanded to Manchester, bringing together another 20 women. Then, it grew again, this time across London, involving over 200 women.
Now, as COP30 takes place in Belém, Brazil (10-21 November), Climate Sisters is entering its next chapter: a five-year national movement spanning North West England and Scotland, supported by over £1.5 million from The National Lottery Community Fund, the UK’s largest funder of community activity.
This new phase is being led by Wen’s Climate Sisters team, headed by Roshini Thamotheram, Head of Movements & Climate Sisters Programme Manager, working alongside: Meray Diner (Programme Manager, Scotland), Titilayo Farukuoye (Project Coordinator, Scotland), Anisa Saleh (Programme Manager, North West England), and Ivie Itoje (Climate Sisters Manager, London).
The Climate Sisters team will help ensure that racialised and marginalised women are included in local, regional, and national climate policy and action, making sure their leadership shapes the transition to a fair and sustainable future. As Meray Diner says:
“Whilst COP30 is going on, our national project is working with 72 new Climate Sisters and will be expanding to over 300 in the next 5 years.”
Working in partnership
Wen is proud to be delivering Climate Sisters in collaboration with Support Action Women’s Network (SAWN), Gilded Lily Inspiring Enterprise Cic, The Women’s Budget Group, the University of Manchester JUST Centre in the North West, and the University of Edinburgh, Learning for Sustainability Scotland in the Scottish Central Belt.
Together, these partners will support women to bring their lived experience and community knowledge into climate action and policymaking, locally, regionally and nationally.
As Roshini Thamotheram, Wen’s Head of Movements and Climate Sisters Programme Manager, says:
“The knowledge missing from UK climate discussions is that of the most affected, particularly racialised women. It’s imperative that those most affected are leading the process of climate adaptation for it to be effective for all.”
Building a national movement for climate justice
Through its Feminist Climate Leadership Programme, Climate Sisters creates space for women to explore their priorities for climate justice, develop creative projects, and build confidence in decision-making spaces. It’s about redefining what counts as “expertise”, valuing lived expertise, cultural wisdom and community knowledge.
As we look to COP30 and beyond, the message from Climate Sisters is clear: climate justice cannot be achieved without gender and racial justice. The programme relies on the principle of participation – “nothing about us without us” – ensuring that those most affected have a voice in shaping the decisions that impact their communities.
As Titilayo Farukuoye says,
“It’s about coming together and strengthening each other as racialised and gendered communities to champion climate justice in our communities and globally.”
As Climate Sisters continues to grow and expand across the UK, the programme is a reminder that meaningful climate action must centre those most affected. By uplifting the voices, knowledge and leadership of racialised and marginalised women, we are not only contributing to a fairer and more inclusive transition – we are joining and strengthening a powerful movement led by communities and organisations also driving this work.
Read our COP30 explainer and what Wen wants to see for more on the outcomes we’re calling for
Meet the Climate Sisters in Scotland and North West England.
