The 2025 Global Citizen Festival in New York City marked a historic milestone as over 60,000 attendees united with world-renowned artists, leaders, and philanthropists to drive meaningful action on urgent global issues. The Festival, aligned with the United Nations General Assembly and Climate Week NYC, spotlighted Global Citizen’s core campaigns focused on protecting the Amazon rainforest, expanding renewable energy access in Africa, and supporting children’s education and nutrition worldwide. Leading up to the event, Global Citizen mobilized millions globally, resulting in record-breaking 4.3 million actions demanding commitments from governments, corporations, and philanthropies to address poverty, climate change, and inequality.
The Protect the Amazon campaign achieved significant progress in 2025, raising over $280 million to safeguard and restore 25 million hectares of rainforest. Key commitments included Norway’s $60 million donation to the Amazon Fund, Suriname’s pledge to permanently protect 90% of its forests, and $135 million secured by Everland to support Indigenous-led conservation efforts. Partnerships with organizations such as Rainforest Trust, Re:wild, and the Inter-American Development Bank reinforced these efforts, while initiatives like the Jaguar Rivers Initiative and Rio Nature & Climate Week highlighted regional collaborations to restore ecosystems and empower local communities. Together, these efforts advanced Global Citizen’s ultimate goal of mobilizing $1 billion to protect the Amazon ahead of COP30.
Global Citizen also made strides in education and nutrition, exceeding $140 million mobilized for children’s programs, including over $30 million for the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund. The campaign aims to expand access to quality education and football for 30,000 children worldwide by the 2026 FIFA World Cup, addressing critical gaps in literacy, nutrition, and life skills. Contributions came from governments, private sector partners, and philanthropies, including MetLife Foundation, Bank of America, Cisco, France, Ireland, Canada, ELMA Relief Foundation, and the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation. These efforts were complemented by investments in UNICEF’s Child Nutrition Fund, aiming to reach 320 million women and children annually by 2030.
Expanding renewable energy across Africa was another major focus, with the Scaling Up Renewables in Africa campaign mobilizing enough commitments to provide electricity to more than 4.6 million households by 2030, surpassing initial targets. Key pledges included Globaleq’s 1.3 gigawatts of new renewable power, Pele Energy Group’s 10-gigawatt expansion, Energea’s $250 million investment in solar projects, and European Commission funding of $640 million for energy infrastructure across multiple African countries. These initiatives aim to reduce energy poverty, create jobs, and drive equitable green transition across the continent ahead of the G20 Summit in Johannesburg.
Beyond global commitments, the Festival emphasized local impact and sustainability. Volunteers participated in community cleanups, mentorship programs, and service initiatives across New York City, while the Festival itself achieved a fully offset carbon footprint through biochar projects and energy-efficient production. Food was entirely vegetarian with vegan options, and surplus meals were donated to local organizations. These efforts reflected Global Citizen’s mission to combine advocacy, music, and tangible action to drive systemic change.
Looking ahead, Global Citizen continues its worldwide campaigns with the upcoming Festival: Amazônia in Belém, Brazil, on November 1, followed by Global Citizen NOW: Johannesburg alongside the G20 Summit. Plans for 2026 include expanding the Move Afrika initiative to create jobs and boost local economies, and building on Global Citizen’s first-ever Southeast Asia events to strengthen cross-continental partnerships. The organization’s sustained campaigns demonstrate the power of citizen action in holding leaders accountable, mobilizing resources, and driving global progress toward ending extreme poverty, protecting the planet, and empowering vulnerable communities worldwide.
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