22 Sep 2024
Last week, I joined more than 40,000 changemakers at ChangeNOW 2025 in Paris, a world expo of solutions for the planet and a milestone event marking the 10th anniversary of the Paris Agreement.
With its ambition, diversity, and focus on concrete action to accelerate the ecological and social transition, the scale and spirit of the event were truly inspiring.
Earthshot Prize Finalists from across the years and Hannah Jones took to the stage and exhibition spaces, sharing bold solutions and insights — from ecosystem restoration to scaling the seaweed industry through local farming, and the vital role of young people in tackling the climate crisis. Also present were a vibrant cross-section of the Earthshot community, including nominators, experts, investors, and Prize Council Member, Luisa Neubauer.
In this blog, I’m pleased to share a few insights from ChangeNOW that may resonate with those funding or driving climate solutions.
ChangeNOW 2025 underscored that we are at a pivotal moment for global climate action. The legacy of the Paris Agreement was central, with leaders such as Laurent Fabius, President of COP21, emphasizing the need for renewed urgency and international cooperation. Fabius highlighted that the Paris Agreement’s success relied on collaboration among the scientific community, civil society, and governments.
Today, all three face significant challenges and mounting pressures. Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland, called for justice to remain central to climate action, reminding us that justice is essential for tackling rising inequality, creating jobs, and ensuring healthy lives. Her message: putting justice first is not only a moral imperative but also essential for building alliances needed for meaningful change.
Florent Kaiser, from 2023 Earthshot Prize Winner Acción Andina, speaks at ChangeNOW 2025 in Paris
Session after session called for radical collaboration. Melati Wijsen of YOUTHTOPIA put it simply: the most thriving ecosystems are those that actively welcome and empower people from all backgrounds and skill sets to get involved.
The more accessible and inclusive our networks, the more we unlock talent, ideas, and collective energy, fuelling greater innovation and impact.
A recurring theme was the urgent need for catalytic capital and patient finance to close the $6.4 trillion annual climate finance gap and unlock innovation needed for net zero.
Paul Midy of the French National Assembly noted that the IPCC estimates half the innovation needed for net zero is still missing, highlighting the need to finance early-stage, high-impact solutions. Given smaller European venture funds, climate tech startups struggle to access large, rapid investments. The infrastructure for innovation in the EU is not fully set up for success, and bridging the gap between early-stage support and growth capital – the “missing middle” – remains a challenge.
Sessions on climate philanthropy and impact investing emphasized that corporates and investors are increasingly willing to step up. Lisa Jordan from the DRK Foundation described today’s geopolitical climate as a fabulous opportunity, with significant pools of capital seeking new homes. Yet, to truly bridge the gap, funders must become long-term partners, not just backers, facilitating patient, flexible relationships that allow for the time and experimentation required for systemic change.
Peter Cafferkey from Impact Europe noted that the problems we are aiming to solve are decades in the making and will require genuine behaviour changes, so a patient approach to funding is essential. Blended finance models are emerging to address these challenges. The European Investment Bank Institute, for example, is joining forces with EU foundations and Allianz Global Investors to launch facilities like EMCAF, which provide catalytic early-stage equity to greenfield climate projects in emerging markets by backing fund managers and project developers. Foundations are also rethinking their giving strategies, increasingly working alongside governments and the private sector to maximize impact and share risk.
To help address these barriers, The Earthshot Prize, together with Herbert Smith Freehills, recently convened a roundtable with leading investors, corporates, and finance experts, including representatives from the European Investment Bank and Hitachi, to identify practical solutions for financing first-of-a-kind climate tech projects. The discussion focused on de-risking early-stage deployments and unlocking catalytic capital to move breakthrough technologies from pilot to commercial scale. Key outcomes included a shared commitment to more flexible, risk-absorbing finance models, stronger collaboration across sectors, and advocacy for policy consistency to create a stable investment environment.
ChangeNOW’s expo showcased more than 1,000 solutions at the intersection of technology, nature, and community. This included Launchpad portfolio companies like Coast4C, which supports coastal communities by connecting smallholder farmers to international markets while protecting marine ecosystems, and Mukuru Clean Stoves, which pioneers improved cookstoves and mosquito repellent fuel to combat household air pollution and malaria.
Scalable innovation is happening now but needs support to reach its potential. Our mission to identify, accelerate, and scale these solutions is more relevant than ever.
Luisa Neubauer, Earthshot Prize Council Member, with Nick Hill, CEO of 2024 Earthshot Prize Finalist Coast4C
Joshua Amponsem, Co-founder of 2024 Earthshot Prize Winner GAYO, with Hannah Jones
Throughout ChangeNOW 2025, the imperative of climate justice and inclusive leadership was championed by many speakers.
Hannah Jones, called for a narrative shift that bridges divides and reaches beyond the climate community, focusing on creativity, innovation, and economic opportunity as unifying themes. Both Hannah Jones and Joshua Amponsem, Earthshot Prize Winner and Co-Founder of GAYO, highlighted the power of soft skills, empathy, active listening, humility, and collaboration, which are often forgotten in traditional leadership.
Joshua argued for listening to women and community leaders, who bring crucial perspectives on shared responsibility and community-led solutions. Sanam Naraghi Anderlini, Founder and Executive Director of the International Civil Society Action Network, underscored the need for authenticity and trust, noting that true leadership is built on honesty, sharing space and privilege, and supporting others’ success.
Despite the size of the challenges, ChangeNOW 2025 was infused with urgent optimism, echoed by Hannah Jones, who highlighted the exponentiality of the force for good we are driving.
The importance of cross-sector alliances and intergenerational collaboration was a recurring theme, as was the need to inspire hope and action beyond the usual climate circles.
Hannah Jones, shares insights on stage at ChangeNOW 2025 in Paris
Looking ahead, the future of impact investing in Latin America is promising, driven by growth, greater sophistication, and a deepening commitment to environmental and social outcomes. Insights from the Impact Investing in LATAM Networking Session hosted by NewVentures highlighted that the opportunity is significant in the digitalization space, as many services in the region remain undigitized.
Impact investing capital has surged more than tenfold over the past decade to reach US$25 billion, with Brazil, Mexico, and Chile leading demand for innovative finance. Notably, 57% of assets are now allocated to climate and biodiversity, and the impact investing market in Latin America is expected to double within the next five years. This growth is supported by government policies, a strengthening ecosystem of academic and industry associations, and a shared determination to address challenges like poverty, inequality, and ecosystem loss.
This year, The Earthshot Prize will bring its annual awards ceremony to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and aim to catalyse new funding, forge partnerships, and accelerate the region’s leadership in climate solutions, seizing the opportunity that impact investing presents for Latin America’s sustainable future.
ChangeNOW 2025 reaffirmed that the solutions, and the will, exist to drive a just and sustainable future. We are proud to be part of this global movement, and we invite our partners, funders, and community to join us as we turn ambition into action.
Let’s keep the momentum going. Reach out to explore partnership opportunities, learn more about our Finalists, or join our network of catalytic funders.
Together, we can repair and regenerate our planet, at scale and with urgency.
This November, we’re heading to Brazil to celebrate even more stories of climate creativity!
