In its 2025 edition, the summit brought together over 40,000 people from 140 countries, including 10,000 companies and 1,200 investors, with the goal of advancing the fight against climate change, transitioning to a circular and regenerative economy, reducing inequalities, and driving innovation in sectors such as fashion and energy.
Why were leaders, entrepreneurs, scientists, governments, and activists gathered in Paris last week? To talk solutions.
From April 24 to 26, the ChangeNOW 2025 summit convened changemakers from around the world under the iconic glass roof of the Grand Palais, with one goal: to scale solutions for a more sustainable, just, and regenerative future.
Vissionaries like Mary Robinson, Marc Levy, Heïdi Sevestre, Paul Watson, Cyril Dion, and Helena Gualinga took center stage to share powerful insights and acctionable ideas on how we can transform the state of the planet.
The Collective Stage hosted sessions about environmental intelligence, decarbonization of industries, land restoration, accelerating renewables, climate art and communication, among others. Editorial credit: ChangeNOW 2025.
The setting was no coincidence. The Grand Palais, built in 1900 to showcase the technological progress of the century, has long stood as a symbol of innovation and ambition.
From left to right, top to bottom: Ana Toni, COP30 CEO, sharing reflections on the Paris Agreement; Captain Paul Watson and Lamya Essemlali advocating for life below water; Art workshops for delegates; and a view from above the exhibition hall. Editorial credit: ChangeNOW 2025.
More than a century later, in 2015, the city became the stage for another historic milestone: 196 countries formally committed to limiting global temperature rise to 1.5ºC. Now, a decade on, Paris once again stands as a city of legacy, leadership, and climate action.
Collaboration is unlocking a sustainable future
Over the course of three days, the forum became a space for bold dialogue. Conversations ranged from waste management to coral reef restoration, from media narratives to economic redesign. The scope of the discussions matched the scale of the agenda itself, with sessions and workshops running in parallel across the venue’s multiple stages.
The Accelerate Stage, where pitching sessions took place. Editorial credit: ChangeNOW 2025.
While the topics were diverse, the mission was clear: there is a fundamental need to place sustainability at the center of every decision shaping our future. It may sound like a complex task, but its implementation is already underway.
Among those presenting their innovations are two Spanish companies: Recovo, specialized in circularity and waste management, which introduced its innovative platform designed to transform textile waste into valuable resources for the fashion industry, and Clic Recycle, which recycles and reuses biodegradable waste from hair salons, agriculture, and ports, giving them a new life through the use of innovative technologies such as the internet of things (IoT), blockchain, and artificial intelligence.
As Dr. Kirsten Dunlop, CEO of Climate Kic, shared:
We’ve been trained to look at big and complex problems and break them into small actions – approached in siloed, fragmented, and mechanistic ways.
But now, she argued, it’s time for a shift in thinking. Sustainability across all fields needs a holistic approach that finds solutions through systems thinking, cooperation, and a deeply collaborative mindset.
A shared challenge that knows no borders
Sustainability cuts across geographies, cultures, and generations. “We need to adopt a biocentric point of view, which Indigenous people understand, that idea that we are connected with everything else, and unless we live in harmony with other species, we won’t be able to survive”, said Captain Paul Watson, as he spoke about his lifelong mission to protect marine species.
Mary Robinson, first female President of Ireland and climate justice advocate. Editorial credit: ChangeNOW 2025.
Among the standout moments of the forum was the powerful presence of women leading climate action and paving the way for others. Led by Garance Aulagne, Women for Change is an in-house initiative spotlighting women driving transformation across sectors. It is fueled by the acknowledgment that while women are among the groups most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, they are also at the core of its solutions.
Helena Gualinga, indigenous activist and environmental advocate. Editorial credit: ChangeNOW 2025.
Regenerative agriculture was another challange highlighted during the forum, focusing on restoring nutrients to soils depleted by years of chemical fertilizers and pesticides through innovative, plant-based solutions like fungi. Marjolein Albers, CEO from Justdiggit, noted, “when we talk about land restoration, we also talk about restoring mindsets and inspiring people, showing that this is possible.” Education and training withing communities are essential, especially in regions like Africa, where land degradation is widespread – 65% of the land is already affected.
Looking Ahead
ChangeNOW demonstrated that collaboration is the cornerstone of the sustainable future we are striving to create. This global gathering highlighted that behind every solution for the planet, there are passionate and visionary individuals determined to drive change and scale impact. Only through collective action and concrete commitments can we accelerate this transition.
