Hope to action: what we learned at ChangeNOW 2025

We unpack some of the key takeaways from last month's ChangeNOW summit in Paris

Returning to its home at the enormous Grand Palais in central Paris, ChangeNOW 2025 once again welcomed thousands of changemakers to connect, inspire, and learn from some of the most influential voices in the climate action sphere: from world leaders and policymakers to groundbreaking sports professionals and activists.

The jam-packed, three-day event gave the Springwise team a fantastic chance to hear from these global sustainability leaders, and we were thrilled to be joining the summit once again as Major Ecosystem and Media Partner, supporting the ChangeNOW team in the creation of their daily event newsletter.

Two weeks on from the event, there has been a lot to unpack and a lot of learnings to implement, not least in terms of the breadth of the solutions showcased (with everything from ocean conservation and the circular economy to responsible AI). Of course, 10 years on from the signing of the Paris Agreement, it is clear that we are not moving fast enough, despite the progress that’s been made. But, ChangeNOW was an opportunity to celebrate the things that are working as we journey to net zero, as well as spotlight areas where we urgently need to change or accelerate if we’re going to achieve a just and sustainable future. Here are just a few of our takeaways.

1. This year must be a turning point for the Amazon

With COP30 coming to the heart of the Amazon Rainforest in Belém, Brazil, this November, speakers repeatedly emphasised how important it is that 2025 is a game-changing year for the protection of this vast (but shrinking) ecosystem. Over 80 per cent of the Amazon has been affected by some form of degradation: it’s at a tipping point.

“At this point, any exploitation of the Amazon is not just unsustainable, it’s immoral and it’s suicidal,” said Helena Gualinga, an Indigenous activist and environmental advocate. Our historic extractive practices have proven catastrophic to the Amazon, and destroying this system further will ultimately prove catastrophic for the climate, given how much carbon the forest absorbs. Gualinga emphasised that the solution – at COP30 and beyond – is to champion and finance Indigenous stewardship, because it is these communities that know how to live in a way that helps the Amazon thrive.

On the Legacy Stage, Founder of Sea Shepherd and Ocean Conservationist Captain Paul Watson echoed the urgent need to rethink our position in nature. “We do not live on this planet without whales, without trees, without bees, without any of these creatures. Unless we learn to live in harmony with all of these species, we are not going to survive.” Anthropocentrism (putting humans above everything) must be replaced by a biocentric approach that recognises the importance of all living organisms. “We cannot survive on this planet alone. We have to humble ourselves.”

2. We must champion feminine leadership

Traditional ways of running countries and businesses are leading us down the path of irreversible climate and nature collapse. To turn things around, we must radically rethink traditional leadership. In the session ‘The Future of Leadership’, panellists highlighted that this means embracing more feminine styles of leadership, regardless of whether or not the leader is themselves a woman.

“We [women] lead in a way that’s less hierarchical: every voice matters in the circle. We listen to each other, and we listen with empathy,” explained Mary Robinson, the first female President of Ireland and a climate justice advocate. This collaborative approach over competitiveness is critical if we want to effectively tackle our planet’s greatest challenges. “Feminine leadership is deeply connected to what true prosperity will mean in the future: being in harmony with nature,” summarised former Earthshot Prize CEO Hannah Jones.

3. The climate crisis is a crisis of social justice

“Our economic system is at the heart of the climate crisis,” concluded Agata Meysner, the president and co-founder of Generation Climate Europe. Traditional economic systems continue to prioritise financial profit over the health of our planet (and the people living on it). As Environmentalist Writer Tony Juniper highlighted, “The people who are breathing in the pollution are not the people who are making the decisions that pollute.”

Over-extraction of raw materials and overproduction of goods may be good for a business’ bottom line, but it is completely at odds with a fair and sustainable future. “We need a new vision of prosperity – that meets the fundamental needs and rights of all people…where we thrive within planetary boundaries,” said Meysner.

In this spirit, on ChangeNOW’s final day on the Agora Stage, the ‘Youth Parliament for a Wellbeing Economy’ took place, where speakers put forward ways this new vision of prosperity could be shaped. Lewis Akenji, the executive director of the Hot or Cool Institute, for instance, suggested that we needed new progress indicators beyond GDP – ones that are “defined by the vision of citizens.”

4. Young people have a hard but vital role to play

From the dynamic founders we met in the solutions exhibition zone, to the inspiring young people we heard speak across the various stages, youth were a central pillar of ChangeNOW 2025. This isn’t a particularly new idea, as many speakers pointed out, because young individuals often bring fresh ideas and perspectives. But, as Agata Meysner pointed out, “Youth engagement has become a buzzword. We are facing a higher risk of ‘youthwashing’ where young people are involved in a superficial and tokenistic way.” It is not just about being present at the table, young people must also be heard once they get there.

In a similar vein, in a panel on preventing AI disinformation, Founder and Executive Director of EquiLabs Luísa Franco Machado warned: “Young people are in the eye of the storm as the most datafied and manipulated generation. We are test subjects.” If young people are likely to be most impacted by the widespread rollout of AI (and the resulting disinformation), then it only makes sense for more young people to be involved in shaping AI policy.

5. Green equals growth

In the session ‘Spotlighting Changemakers: Shaping a Thriving Impact Ecosystem’, chaired by former Springwise CEO James Bidwell, Hannah Jones reiterated that “Green equals growth and green equals jobs.”

With initiatives like the Earthshot Prize, solutionists who are tackling the world’s biggest problems are given the attention (and crucial financial backing) they need to make a difference. With all these new solutions, and the sustainable transition, there come huge opportunities – for investors and prospective employees. “We forget that exponentiality isn’t just about disaster scenarios, it can be applied to solutions and individuals’ actions that can become an unstoppable force for good,” said Jones.

Multiple leaders emphasised that sustainability does not need to come at the expense of success as a business, even though it’s often seen as a trade-off. “We’ve proven you can grow and still reduce carbon emissions – this commitment attracts good talent,” pointed out Karen Pflug, CSO of the Ingka Group. Likewise, CEO of BEKO Hakan Bulgurlu warned, “The planet doesn’t care about your ESG score and the planet isn’t something you can negotiate with…if you wait for regulations to change you’ll fall behind. As a leader of industry, we’re trying to voluntarily shift the goalpost.”