Today many cities are simply unsustainable, with polluted air, excessive energy consumption and an absence of nature. But big cities don't have to mean a dystopian future. This collection of articles and interviews collectively demonstrate both the need for women's empowerment for climate action and the powerful change it can bring.

Foreword by Anne Hidalgo Introduction by Nicola Baird 1. The Power of Stubborn Optimism - Christiana Figueres 2. Empowering Women to Power up the Paris Agreement on Climate Change - Patricia Espinosa 3. The Hissing of Summer Lawns: Cities, Gender, and Climate Change - Susan Buckingham 4. What’s Happening in Durban: From ‘Tree-Preneurs’ to Trendsetters - Zandile Gumede 5. Women’s Empowerment and Environmental Sustainability in the Context of International UN agreements - Diane Elson 6. Walking the Talk: Empowering Tomorrow’s Women Leaders - Alexandra Palt 7. How Holistic Thinking Benefits People and Planet - Lola Young 8. How Gender-Sensitive are National Adaptation Programmes of Action? Selected Findings from a Desk Review of Thirty-One Sub-Saharan African Countries - Nathalie Holvoet and Liesbeth Inberg 9. Why Educating Girls is Essential for a Sustainable Future - Atti Worku 10. Women, Conflict and the Environment in Somali Society - Shukri Haji Ismail Bandare and Fatima Jibrell 11. The Close Ties between Social and Environmental Justice - Karin Nansen 12. Engendering Urban Climate Policy - Gotelind Alber 13. Why do Gender Equality and Sustainability Go Hand in Hand? - Lyla Mehta and Melissa Leach 14. The Benefits of using a Gender Lens - Naoko Ishii 15. Is there a Specific Role for Women in Helping to Achieve Environmental Sustainability through Politics? - Caroline Lucas 16. Empowering a Balanced and Useful Economics of Sustainability: The Role of Gender - Julie A. Nelson 17. Hand in Hand: Women’s Empowerment and Sustainability - Vandana Shiva 18. How the Defence of the Commons and Territories has become a Core Part of Feminist, Anti-Capitalist Struggles - Celia Alldridge 19. Mother Earth - Maria Mies 20. From Icebergs to Climate Refugees - Jude Kelly 21. From Individual to Communal Rights: Empowering Women for Sustainable Use of Natural Resources - Nidhi Tandon 22. The Role of Fashion in Bringing About Social and Ecological Change - Anna Fitzpatrick 23. Family Planning: A Win-Win for Women and Sustainability - Carina Hirsch 24. The Power of Grassroots Action for Women’s Empowerment and the Environment - Kate Metcalf and colleagues 25. One Hundred Years of Collective Action for Environmental Change - Marylyn Haines Evans 26. The Impact of Gender Balance in the Renewable Energy Sector - Juliet Davenport 27. More Women in Business for a Sustainable Economy - Emma Howard Boyd