The Gender and Climate Connection: Advancing Impactful Philanthropy

Join us as we explore the potential for gender and climate perspectives to enhance your impact, no matter what your philanthropic mission.

Globally, there's growing recognition of the vital connections between gender, social equity and climate change. Yet in Australia, public discussions around the gendered nature of climate challenges and the power and potential of women-led solutions remain limited, hindering effective policymaking and investment.

As more data and research reveal their clear correlation, it's time for funders to talk about the disparate impacts of climate change, and the links between women's empowerment and effective climate action.

Panel:

• Doug Hilton AO, Chief Executive, CSIRO
• Anna Skarbek, CEO, Climateworks Centre
• Millie Telford, Trustee, Reichstein Foundation
• Pasanna Mutha-Merennege, Policy and Advocacy Manager, Women’s Environmental Leadership Australia (WELA)

Moderator:

• Miki Perkins, Writer and Journalist

Case study:

• Katherine Tu, Head of Policy and Campaigns, ActionAid Australia

Event Details: 

Date: Thursday, 20 March 2025
Time: 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm 
Venue: Lendlease, Level 14, Two Melbourne Quarter, 697 Collins Street, Docklands
Drinks and light refreshments will be provided.

Speaker Bios: 

Doug Hilton AO, Chief Executive, CSIRO 
Dr Doug Hilton AO commenced as CSIRO Chief Executive on September 29, 2023. Dr Hilton is a molecular and cellular biologist and previously Director of the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI). At WEHI, his medical research focussed on understanding how blood cells communicate and using this knowledge to improve disease treatments. He and his team held more than 20 patents and translated their research through collaboration with venture capitalists and the biopharmaceutical industry. Through an honorary appointment in the Zoology Department at University of Melbourne, he also studies a family of tiny day-flying moths involved in the pollination of Australian plants.

Beyond research, Dr Hilton has emphasised the importance of strong institutional cultures, and furthered diversity in science including as a member of the Champion of Change Coalition and a board member of Australians Investing in Women.

Anna Skarbek, CEO, Climateworks Centre
Anna Skarbek is CEO of Climateworks Centre, leading the organisation’s work in Australia and Southeast Asia with decision-makers who have power to reduce emissions at scale. Anna has led Climateworks since its creation in 2009. Co-founded by philanthropy and Monash University, Climateworks bridges the gap between research and climate action, operating as an independent not-for-profit within the Monash Sustainable Development Institute.

Anna is an Asia Pacific Advisory Board member for GFANZ (the Glasgow Financial Alliance on Net Zero), a member of the Nature Finance Council, a board director of SEC Victoria, the Green Building Council of Australia, and the Centre for New Energy Technologies. 

Millie Telford, Trustee, Reichstein Foundation
Amelia (Millie) Telford is a Bundjalung and South Sea Islander woman, and is a Trustee of Reichstein Foundation. Millie is currently Chief of Partnerships and First Nations Justice at Australian Progress, where she builds capacity of First Nations-led movements and advocacy across the country. She is also on the steering committee of Passing The Message Stick; and is co-founder of Common Threads, a new First Nations-led organisation and fund that aims to grow and harness the power of emerging First Nations leadership, advocacy and changemaking to win transformative change. Previously, Millie co-founded and led Seed, Australia’s first Indigenous Youth Climate Network.

Pasanna Mutha-Merennege, Policy and Advocacy Manager, Women’s Environmental Leadership Australia (WELA)
Pasanna Mutha-Merennege is an advocacy, government relations and legal policy specialist with 15+ years of experience advocating for gender justice at a state, national and global level. She has worked in the international development, family violence and community legal sectors, building strategic advocacy programs to drive systems-wide change. With a Masters in International Law, her work is grounded in human rights, social justice and intersectional feminism.

Katherine Tu, Head of Policy and Campaigns, ActionAid Australia
Katherine Tu is the Head of Policy and Campaigns at ActionAid Australia. She has over ten years’ experience working in the progressive campaigns space, taking an intersectional approach to change on climate, economic, and gender justice issues. Katherine has worked in roles across that span leadership, campaigning, advocacy, fundraising, and community organising. Katherine also serves as Board Chair for Fair Agenda, which campaigns for a fair and gender equal future for women in Australia.

Miki Perkins, Writer and Journalist (Moderator)
Miki Perkins is an award-winning senior journalist with two decades of in-depth reporting and editing experience in Australian and global news. Most recently, she was The Age and Sydney Morning Herald’s specialist writer on climate change and environment. Miki works as a senior media advisor at Environmental Justice Australia, a national public interest legal organisation that runs strategic legal campaigns on climate, nature and justice issues.

We gratefully acknowledge the generosity of Lendlease in hosting this event.