Addressing climate change and its impacts requires cooperation between nations, however traditional approaches to foreign policy which take a zero-sum game mindset have proven inadequate to meeting this challenge.

Foreign policy and feminism both share a common focus on understanding how power operates. Where they differ, is that realist foreign policy approaches ask mostly power amassing questions—seeking to understand how we accrue power for ourselves, and contain the power of others. A feminist approach asks different kinds of questions which can move us beyond zero sum conceptions of power in search of win-win solutions – the kinds of solutions we need if we are to address the climate crisis and implement just transitions on a global scale!

In this session you will hear from a panel of feminist climate experts building on a paper published through the Australian Feminist Foreign Policy Coalition Issues Paper Series, Feminist Perspectives on Climate Diplomacy.

Speakers will provide a feminist analysis of the impacts and solutions to climate change, including the way that feminist approaches can expand the types of knowledge and solutions that are seen as valid in ways that re-centre the knowledge and world views of First Nations, women and other marginalised communities. The session will also speak to the interconnections between feminist approaches and First Nations Foreign Policy, and the practical steps Australia can take to operationalise these approaches through its international climate diplomacy, building on the work of the Australian Feminist Foreign Policy Coalition.