Australian sustainable tourism expert Susanne Etti on BBC’s list of 100 Women 2023

The BBC has revealed the names of the inspiring and influential women on the BBC 100 Women list for 2023 and Susanne Etti from Australia, is recognised for being one of the few climate scientists in the travel and tourism sector.

For the first time, this year’s BBC 100 Women list recognises the disproportionate impact of climate change on the lives of women and girls, specifically highlighting a group of women leading the battle against the climate crisis. By naming 28 Climate Pioneers from all corners of the globe, the BBC 100 Women List 2023 celebrates those inspiring and leading their communities to tackle and adapt to the devastating impact of climate change in their regions.  

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Australia’s Susanne Etti is passionate about leading the industry towards a more sustainable future, and her work as the global environmental impact manager at Intrepid Travel, a small-group adventure travel business, has led the company to become the first tour operator with verified science-based carbon reduction targets.

Etti has authored an open-source guide for travel businesses wanting to decarbonise and is a key part of Tourism Declares, a voluntary community of 400 travel organisations, companies, and professionals who have declared a climate emergency.

Etti has said of her work: “Today we are seeing more businesses recognising the importance of climate action by setting ambitious goals to reduce environmental impact, investing in renewable energy and committing to long-term emission reduction targets.”

The announcement of this year’s list kicks off the BBC’s 100 Women 2023 season – focusing on women’s rights and diverse life experiences around the globe, with special content including interviews, documentaries, features, digital and social journalism, across the BBC’s UK and global TV and radio services, and BBC.com. 

The season will look at the practice of child marriage, as 12 million underaged girls are forced into marriage every year. It will explore the spike in climate anxiety concerns with a data-led project, and hear from women whose reproductive choices have been impacted by environmental concerns. It’ll go on the road with Mexican truck drivers in a heavily male-dominated and dangerous business, and also travel up the mountains with a group of shepherdesses who brought wealth and transformed their community in less than a generation.

Notable names from the BBC 100 Women 2023 list include former First Lady of the United States, attorney and campaigner Michelle Obama, footballer Aitana Bonmatí, human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, actresses America Ferrera and Dia Mirza, beauty mogul Huda Kattan, AI expert Timnit Gebru, campaigner Ulanda Mtamba, writer Oksana Zabuzhko and feminist leader Gloria Steinem. 

Yet it is the new names that make the BBC 100 women list so unique. Among them are the 28 Climate Pioneers, announced to coincide with the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP28, starting later this month in Dubai.

They include Indian photographer Arati Kumar-Rao, Paraguayan sprinter Camila Pirelli, South African freediving instructor Zandile Ndhlovu, Pakistani midwife Neha Mankani, Nigerian mental health advocate Jennifer Uchendu and Thai campaigner for indigenous and LGBTQ+ rights Matcha Phorn-in.  

Other women celebrated for their work tackling the climate crisis in different fields, include Brazil’s state minister Sonia Guajajara, firefighter Sofia Kosacheva, and climate advisers Iryna Stavchuk and Christiana Figueres.

The full BBC 100 Women List 2023 can be found HERE

Liliane Landor, Senior Controller of BBC News International Services said: “It is fantastic to see the truly remarkable women named on this year’s BBC 100 Women list. This diverse list of influential and ground-breaking grassroots women, who have been making a difference in their field –  from community level to international politics – are an inspiration to us all.

“In a year where extreme heat, wildfires, floods and other natural disasters have been dominating headlines, and where wars have weighed heavily, it is more important than ever that the BBC World Service continues to shine a spotlight on women globally and their fight back against climate change.”

Alongside the list, BBC 100 Women will present a season of specially commissioned content and documentaries, featuring the untold stories of some of this year’s BBC 100 Women.

BBC 100 Women at COP28 

BBC 100 Women will also be present at the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference COP28, from November 30, to highlight the strand’s commitment to telling the climate story. We will be holding a TV broadcast from Expo City, Dubai and from Nairobi, bringing some of our grassroot pioneers together to provide a space to share their thoughts and deeply personal experiences of living life right on the forefront of the climate crisis, amidst a growing sense of climate anxiety.

This programme will air on BBC News on December 3, and will also be available on The Climate Question podcast from 10 December.

BBC World Service Radio

The Conversation – BBC 100 Women special: Climate pioneers 

Kim Chakanetsa meets two women on this year’s BBC 100 Women list: Basima Abdulrahman, founder and CEO of KESK, the first company in Iraq to offer green building services and products, and Jennifer Uchendu, founder of SustyVibes in Nigeria, a youth-led sustainability organisation, and The Eco Anxiety Project, an initiative promoting awareness and research into climate change and its impact on young Africans’ mental health. 

They’ll discuss their commitment to the environment, the challenges of getting their messages across, the impact that climate change is having on their mental health and their hopes for the future.

Airs on BBC World Service Radio Monday November 27

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