Women Leading the Climate Revolution.
Changing who leads. Changing how we lead.
Climate summit after climate summit, cabinet after cabinet, report after report – and still the world moves in the wrong direction. Global fossil CO₂ emissions reached record or near-record levels in 2023–2024. Since 2016, the world's sixty-five largest banks have provided about $8.7 trillion in financing to fossil fuel companies. The IMF estimates global fossil fuel subsidies at about $7 trillion in 2022 – roughly 7 percent of global GDP – while roughly 700 million people still live in extreme poverty.
This is not a knowledge problem. It is a power problem. The same structures that created the crisis – overwhelmingly male, tied to fossil interests, built on dominance and short-term gain – are still deciding our future. The Dutch title of the book says it plainly: Zo kan het niet langer – this cannot go on any longer.
in fossil financing by the world's 65 largest banks since 2016
of global GDP – the IMF's estimate of fossil fuel subsidies in 2022
of countries worldwide are led by a woman
The climate crisis is not only a technological problem – it is a leadership problem. To turn the tide we need three things, and we need them together.
Collaboration over competition. Inclusion over exclusion. Care, compassion, systems thinking and building for generations – the leadership qualities our male-dominated world lacks exactly where they matter most.
Women are hit hardest by climate impacts and remain under-represented where decisions are made. Equal rights and equal seats at the table are not a side issue – they are a precondition for climate solutions that work.
Those who contributed least to the crisis suffer its worst consequences. Real solutions reduce emissions and inequality – across countries, communities and generations.
women have ever received the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences since 1969
girls worldwide remain out of school – while girls' education ranks among the highest-impact climate solutions
of executives at the largest U.S. companies have formal climate expertise
“The battle ahead is one between a livable, thriving planet and the ravaging powers of patriarchy. It is high time to confront this and to fight together for a livable future.”
Why tackling the climate crisis takes female power. From the girls leading the global climate movement to the women rebuilding our economy – and the old boys network holding us back. The forthcoming updated English edition of the Dutch book Zo kan het niet langer (2023).
About the BookGender-responsive climate policy saves lives, raises yields and moves billions – and on every continent women are showing how. The evidence and the women, side by side.
The Planet // Power Academy is live for two audiences: Next Generation // Schools helps girls and young people find their voice and leadership, while Leadership // Organizations brings keynotes and interactive workshops to leaders ready to lead differently. Select advisory and workshop engagements are already available through the Planet // Power Practice.
Explore Programs →The key reports behind the book – from the IPCC to the Global Gender Gap Report – plus fresh research and news on gender and climate, with a short take on why it matters.
Read Insights →Everyone has a climate superpower. Find yours – and join a movement of women, girls and allies who refuse to leave the future to the old boys network.