I spent some of the happiest, most formative years of my life in North Carolina. It’s where I went to college, back when I still thought I wanted to be a journalist. So it’s been heart-wrenching watching the devastation wrought by Hurricane Helene on my adopted home state and the Southeast this past weekend. And it serves to remind us all of the urgency with which we need to address climate change.

Especially as women.

The research shows us, over and over again: Women are disproportionately impacted by the effects of climate change.

We’re 14 times more likely to die in a climate disaster than men.

Air pollution and excessive heat can have negative outcomes for pregnant people, including preterm birth and complications during pregnancy.

Extreme climate events can fatally limit women’s access to essential health services, like reproductive care.

And on and on and on.

But while women bear the brunt of the effects of climate change, we may also be key to solving for it.

According to the World Economic Forum, a mere 1% increase in women managers at an organization can result in a 0.5% decrease in carbon emissions. One percent.

And companies with more than 30% women on their board also perform better when it comes to climate governance, climate innovation, and sustainability. (Not to mention, they suffer fewer environmental lawsuits.)

Women are also more likely to invest for a positive climate impact.

The Global Climate Policy Initiative says that the annual financial flow needed to address climate change in 2030 will be $8 trillion to $9 trillion.

That sounds like a lot of money. That is, until you realize that the Great Wealth Transfer – and what we call the resulting Feminization of Wealth – will leave women in control of tens of trillions of dollars over that same period. In that context, $8 trillion feels pretty doable.

That’s why, at Ellevest, we must insist: Nothing bad happens when women have more money. In fact, we’re all better off when they do.