"I cannot remember a previous occasion when a major player in this process has not been represented at ministerial level at the high level segment of the talks." - Yvo de Boer, former UN climate chief
1 Million Women is being honoured with an award by the United Nations as a movement of women setting a global example by making a real difference on climate change. 1 Million Women is one of a handful of women's initiatives to be so awarded, chosen from hundreds around the world, and we are the only one from a wealthy developed nation.
These awards represent a major new initiative by the United Nations to elevate the role of women in the search for global solutions to dangerous climate change.
Launched in 2009, 1 Million Women is a pioneer in this climate-and-gender dimension. We focus on engaging women from the developed world to directly act on dangerous climate change – through the way we live, through our everyday consumer choices and through how we spend our money.
Like many Australians, I was shocked and saddened last week when I discovered that for the first time in 16 years, our nation w ont be sending a Minister to these crucial negotiations.
An Australian Minister has been involved on the ground every year since 1997, through the prime ministerships of John Howard, Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard, covering Coalition and Labor-led governments.
We had hoped an Australian Minister would be in Warsaw to join us when 1 Million Women receives its award at a special celebratory event on the evening of November 20, at a time when Ministers from many nations have usually gathered for the vital negotiations of the closing days.
We never contemplated that Australia would not send a Minister at all . The real issue is that Australia under a new government needs to show that it remains committed to real action on climate change, and not having a MInister in Warsaw sends a very poor message aside from weakening our position at the negotiating table.
When I do arrive in Warsaw I will have one simple message for the Australian Government and Environment Minister the Hon. Greg Hunt MP and Foreign Minister the Hon. Julie Bishop MP.
It's the same message I had before I left Australia. It's the message in the Change.org petition that 1 Million Women launched on November 8, the day before I flew out for Warsaw, and which already has gathered thousands of signatures:
An Australian Minister should be in Warsaw, please come.