The campaign reached its goal of $1 billion, fueling regional Indigenous-led and nature-based solution funds including the Amazon Fund, the Chief Raoni Legacy Fund, the Soros Economic Development Fund, the Legacy Landscapes Fund, Fundo Flora, and the Forest Threats and Fire Prevention Fund

• 31 million hectares will be protected or restored through new conservation projects, long-term investments to defend traditional Indigenous territories, and catalytic finance initiatives to support sustainable restoration efforts. The represents an area the size of 43 million football fields

• 18 million people are set to be impacted by investments in green tech skills training, expanding access to clean energy, and strengthened climate resilience. Specifically, 11 million people will gain access to clean, renewable energy, health or financial support; more than 5 million people will receive access to technical training in clean energy or renewable technology; and 2 million people will directly benefit from programs enhancing food security, restoring ecosystems, and boosting community-led climate resilience.

• Global Citizens took an incredible 4.4 million actions to demand bold new policies and invesements in the Amazon and its people — the highest in 5 years

The Global Citizen Festival Campaign Continues to Drive Action, Looking Ahead to What’s Next:

• Global Citizen continues to call on the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Norway, and other wealthy nations to step up with concrete policy and financial commitments at COP30 in Belém this November

• The Scaling Up Renewables in Africa campaign is charging ahead towards Global Citizen NOW: Johannesburg and the G20 Summit in late November, where Global Citizen will push for more transformative commitments to light up Africa’s clean energy future.

• Global Citizen is also well on its way to meeting the $100 million goal for the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund by the 2026 FIFA World Cup, ensuring access to education and football for 30,000 children in need worldwide

On November 1, 2025, the Global Citizen Festival: Amazônia, Global Citizen’s first ever music festival in Latin America, united 50,000 people at the Estádio Olímpico do Pará (Mangueirão) in Belém, Brazil, at the very gateway of the Amazon for the culmination of the year-long Protect the Amazon (PTA) campaign, which has now reached its goal and secured more than $1 billion in commitments to safeguard the rainforest and its people. 

Over the last year, Global Citizens around the world united around the campaign’s goal: to protect the Amazon and the communities who call it home. Together, they took an astounding 4.4 million actions — the highest number in five years — urging world leaders, the private sector, and philanthropies to step up for people and the planet by focusing on the Amazon, the lungs of the Earth. Their voices made an impact. Key funding contributions to the $1 billion target will fuel Indigenous-led and nature-based funds such as The Chief Raoni Legacy Fund, Fundo Flora, the Forest Threats and Fire Prevention Fund, and more. 31 million hectares will be protected or restored through new conservation projects, long-term investments to defend traditional Indigenous territories, and catalytic finance initiatives to support sustainable innovation. 

Beyond that, these commitments are set to directly impact the lives of 18 million people across the region by expanding access to clean energy, green job skills training, and climate resilience programs to benefit communities on the frontlines of climate change. Specifically, nearly 11 million people will gain access to essential resources such as clean electricity, sustainable energy infrastructure, health, or financial support. More than 5 million people will gain transformative access to green jobs, technical training, or vocational skills in clean energy or renewable technology, while an additional 2 million people will directly benefit from programs advancing food security, ecosystem restoration, and community-based climate resilience. 

The campaign culminated in Belém, bringing together artists, advocates, and Indigenous leaders to celebrate progress and drive action to protect the Amazon rainforest. As the grand finale of Global Citizen’s PTA campaign, the festival’s agenda and strategy were developed in consultation with a coalition of more than 190 civil society organizations from around the world and across Brazil — including Indigenous and quilombola communities — whose partnership and advocacy were essential and ensured the voices of those most affected remain firmly central in the fight to defend the planet’s largest rainforest.

Global Citizen Festival: Amazônia featured Brazilian music legends and international superstars headliners Gaby Amarantos, Anitta, Charlie Puth, Seu Jorge, and Chris Martin of Coldplay, with special appearances by alongside Gilberto Gil and Indigenous artists Eric Terena with Arraial do Pavulagem, Kaê Guajajara, and Djuena Tikuna. Special video appearances were also made by DJ Alok and Shawn Mendes. The evening was co-hosted by Regina Casé, Mel Fronckowiak, Alane Dias, Hugo Gloss, and Isabelle Nogueira, with guest appearances from Rodrigo Santoro, Ricardinho, Markinho Pinheiro, Estêvão Ciavatta, and Diego Scotti. Additional performances included a pre-show set by Vivi Batidão, presented by Banco do Brasil.

The stage also welcomed prominent political leaders and community representatives, including First Lady of Brazil Janja Lula Da Silva; Sônia Guajajara, Brazil’s Minister of Indigenous Peoples; Helder Barbalho, Governor of Pará State, who provided a history of the campaign to the audience; Puyr Tembé, Secretary of State for Indigenous Peoples of Pará; Marina Silva, Minister of the Environment and Climate Change of Brazil; Úrsula Vidal, Secretary of Culture of Pará State; Igor Normando, Mayor of Belém; Cássio Andrade, Deputy Mayor of Belém and Pará State Secretary for Sport; Matsi Matxïrï, Waura People Leader of the Xingu Region; Célia Xakriabá, Federal Deputy from Minas Gerais; Luene Karipuna, Young Indigenous Leader of the Karipuna People; Tarciana Medeiros, CEO of Banco do Brasil; Vanuza do Abacatal, political and spiritual leader of the Abacatal Quilombo People; and Juma Xipaia, Chief of Kaarimã Village, founder of the Juma Institute, and producer of the film “Yanuni.” 

They were joined by an inspiring group of local advocates and environmental defenders, among them Jean Ferreira da Silva, Executive Director of the Gueto Hub & Co-creator of COP das Baixadas; activist Angélica Mendes, granddaughter of Chico Mendes; Indigenous activist José Kaeté; Samela Sateré Mawé, biologist and Indigenous rights activist; Hugo Loss, Environmental Analyst at IBAMA; Priscila Tapajowara, President of Mídia Indígena; Silvia Rocha, Quilombola activist; Val Munduruku, President of the Suraras dos Tapajós; Ana Rosa Cyrus, UN Women Youth Leader and Executive Director of Engajamundo; Larissa Pinto Moraes, Executive Director, Engajamundo; Danicley de Aguiar, Greenpeace Brasil; Preto Zezé, President of CUFA Rio de Janeiro; Taily Terena, Indigenous activist and Global Citizen Prize winner; Toya Manchineri, General Coordinator of the Coordination of Indigenous Organizations of the Brazilian Amazon (COIAB); Catarina Nefertari, Communications Manager of Amazônia de Pé; Sara Lima, Journalist and Pataxó Indigenous activist; and activist Claudelice Santos, who reflected the festival’s mission to elevate frontline voices from across the Amazon.

Global Citizen Festival: Amazônia took place just weeks before COP30, the UN’s annual climate summit, convenes in Belém, when the world’s eyes will once again turn toward this city at the edge of the Amazon. It promises to be a once-in-a-generation chance for world leaders to stand together at the gateway of the forest that could determine the fight against climate change. A decade after the Paris Agreement, which saw nations pledge to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and help vulnerable countries and communities adapt, COP30 offers a crucial moment for leaders to turn promises into action and make real, concrete commitments to protect our planet. While the festival served as a capstone to the PTA campaign, it also set the stage for bold action at COP30, demonstrating that for millions of Global Citizens worldwide, there’s no time to waste. The world is ready for action today when it comes to investing in our planet’s future. 

Broadcast exclusively in Brazil on Globo, including live coverage on Multishow and Globoplay and streamed globally via YouTube and on ViX across the US, Mexico, and all of Latin America, the festival reached viewers around the world.

Tickets were available to residents of Belém and Pará through the Global Citizen app, website, or WhatsApp, reinforcing Global Citizen’s model of earning entry for spectacular live events by taking action on key issues such as ending deforestation, accelerating a just energy transition, and supporting communities on the frontlines of climate change. To ensure equitable access for as many people to attend as possible, Global Citizen also worked closely with the State of Pará and a network of regional partners to distribute tickets directly to Indigenous peoples, quilombola communities, and local youth across the Amazon region, including Usinas da Paz, SEPI, Mídia Indígena, COP das Baixadas, REPAM, and Grupo Funtelpa. 

Global Citizen Festival: Amazônia was presented by Banco do Brasil, with Teneo as Supporting Partner, Re:wild as Organizing Partner, and policy partners including the Bezos Earth Fund and Open Society Foundations. BB Visa served as the Preferred Payment Partner, Cielo as Payment Experience Partner, and the State of Pará as Location Partner. The festival was produced by Live Nation and Rock World, with production support from Banco do Brasil and local collaborators.

The Grand Finale to Global Citizen’s Protect the Amazon Campaign

Inside the stadium, the atmosphere pulsed with energy throughout the night as artists, advocates, and citizens came together to celebrate progress and renew calls for urgent action on behalf of the Amazon, standing just a few miles away from the crowds. But this festival was more than a rallying cry; it was the culmination of the year-long Protect the Amazon (PTA) campaign, an effort that notched major milestones in the months leading up to Global Citizen Festival: Amazônia. At every step, the Amazon rainforest, one of the Earth’s most vital ecosystems and carbon sinks (meaning it absorbs more carbon dioxide than it emits), remained at the heart of these efforts throughout. 

Global Citizen officially launched this climate action campaign almost exactly a year ago in Rio de Janeiro at Global Citizen NOW: Rio de Janeiro, an action summit co-hosted with the 2024 G20 Presidency and supported by Brazilian President Lula da Silva that marked the conference series’ first time ever in Latin America. The scale of PTA’s ambition matched the challenge at hand, constituting Global Citizen’s largest effort to date to defend the planet and protect the communities most impacted by climate change all at once.

PTA focused on the Amazon in recognition of rainforests’ vital role as an essential ecosystem critical to our planet’s survival. But worldwide, they’re currently under threat. Deforestation and climate change risk not only the lungs of our planet, but also the 30 million people who call it home and the Indigenous communities that have relied on it for millennia. Nearly a decade has passed since countries signed the landmark Paris Agreement, a legally binding treaty to limit greenhouse gas emissions and keep global warming below 2° Celsius — but so far, the world has seen too little action and too many unfulfilled promises.

The campaign’s focus on the Brazilian Amazon built on years of sustained advocacy and partnerships in the region, leading to significant pledges made on Global Citizen stages over the years. In 2021, in the lead-up to Global Citizen Live, legendary rock band Coldplay joined forces with Re:wild and the Center for Environmental Peacebuilding (CEPB) to mobilize Global Citizens to rally public support for stronger climate action across Brazil in the wake of more than 30,000 devastating fires across the Amazon. Leveraging their platform, Coldplay and thousands of Global Citizens targeted eight state-level government leaders overseeing Amazonian territory to step up with critical pledges to protect this precious ecosystem. In the end, six Brazilian states answered the call, announcing commitments to significantly reduce emissions, implement statewide climate mitigation and adaptation plans, declare more than 1.7 million hectares as protected territory, and help protect more than 300 remote Indigenous communities throughout the region.

Two years later, at the 2023 Global Citizen Festival, Pará State Governor Helder Barbalho pledged to protect 1 million hectares of land by 2025. Returning the following year in 2024, he confirmed that 500,000 hectares had been officially designated as protected lands — halfway to the state’s goal — and further announced that 200,000 hectares of illegally occupied Indigenous lands would be returned to their rightful stewards. In addition, Brazil’s Minister of Indigenous Peoples Sônia Guajajara also pledged to remove illegal loggers, miners, and farmers from seven Indigenous territories and implement 10 new territorial and environmental management plans ahead of COP30. 

Another exciting announcement came as Colombia’s Minister of Environment Susana Muhamad announced new restrictions on oil and gas expansion in the Amazon, confirming that these regulations would be enshrined in the country’s upcoming Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement. She also pledged to convene the historic first dialogue among all Amazon nations on what it would look like to finally institute concrete measures to phase out fossil fuel activity. Together, these commitments showed how political leadership and international cooperation, sharpened by citizen engagement, can drum up serious momentum in the name of legitimate climate action. 

That’s why the PTA campaign honed in on three major policy pillars and priorities: ending deforestation by 2030, accelerating a just energy transition away from fossil fuels, and supporting communities on the frontlines of climate change. Endorsed by President Lula da Silva, the campaign also benefitted from organizing partner Re:wild, policy partners Open Society Foundations and Bezos Earth Fund, support from Teneo, as well as essential guidance from a coalition of more than 190 civil society organizations. Throughout the campaign, Global Citizen mobilized governments, philanthropists, corporations, and civil society to step up with bold financial and policy commitments. The campaign also sought to amplify and center Indigenous and local leadership at every stage, aligned with Global Citizen’s belief that climate action must center the communities most at risk to the stakes of climate change in order to be truly effective.

The campaign sustained momentum throughout the year, with regular pit stops and key events spanning continents sharpening focus on the importance of the Amazon in all climate policy discussions. Its ultimate ambition — to mobilize $1 billion to protect and restore the Amazon — was a clarion call to those in power to step up to the challenge at hand, and act before it is too late to do so. The urgency is clear: across the Amazon, deforestation continues to accelerate with an estimated 10 soccer fields of rainforest lost every minute, threatening not only one of the planet’s most biodiverse ecosystems but also the stability of the global climate.

To turbocharge efforts even further, Global Citizen issued targeted calls to world leaders, including the governments of the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Norway, and other wealthy countries, to renew and expand their financial commitments to the Amazon, in recognition of their shared responsibility to safeguard the planet’s future. With COP30 officially taking place just a few days later on November 10 in Belém, Global Citizen called on the international community to match words with concrete action, ensuring that the Amazon is preserved for generations to come, along with the very climate systems it upholds.

Commitment Makers Rallied Around Calls to Protect the Amazon

Throughout the year, the campaign sustained steady progress heading into its culmination at Global Citizen Festival: Amazônia. At its official launch at Global Citizen NOW: Rio de Janeiro, PTA started with a bang as Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre pledged to continue Norway’s support for Brazil’s Amazon Fund with a commitment worth $60 million in recognition of the fund’s effectiveness at supporting Brazil's efforts to slow deforestation across the rainforest. “Preserving the Amazon rainforest is one of the world’s most important measures for addressing the impacts of climate change,” said Prime Minister Støre of the decision, noting, “Norway has supported Brazil’s rainforest initiative for many years. Norwegian allocations to the Amazon Fund help to safeguard one of the planet’s most essential ecosystems.”. 

The campaign wouldn’t reach its official halfway point until Global Citizen NOW: Amazônia in Belém in July 2025, where the startup accelerator Axcell announced it would invest R$25 million (approximately $4.5 million) in new businesses across the Brazilian state of Manaus that are working to positively impact local communities and preserve the rainforest. Global Citizen NOW: Amazônia also saw the official launch of Global Citizen’s partnership with Sound Future and Stashrun in an effort to combine the power of live events, technology, and action to support the Protect the Amazon campaign, aiming to unlock funding to help protect and restore up to 3.5 million trees and more than 7,000 hectares of forest through Re:wild agroforestry and conservation projects.

Just a few short months later, in the lead up to Global Citizen Festival in New York City on September 27, major commitments to protect the Amazon picked up even greater speed. A few days prior at Global Citizen NOW: Impact Sessions, Suriname, the most forested nation on Earth with 90% forest coverage across 14 million hectares, reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining that status. President Jennifer Geerlings-Simons pledged on stage to adopt the Sustainable Nature Management Act by the end of 2025, a landmark piece of legislation that will enable the country to strengthen its legal forest protection mandates and measures, while also providing a path towards recognizing and protecting Indigenous and Tribal peoples’ ancestral land rights. 

Backing this historic pledge, a coalition of philanthropies — including the Rainforest Trust, Re:wild, Andes Amazon Fund, the Liz Claiborne Foundation, and Art Into Acres — announced $20 million to help fund the creation and management of newly protected areas. These organizations will work directly with in-country partners to do so, with a focus on creating sustainable jobs for Indigenous and traditional communities. With this powerful combination of concrete legal and financial backing, Suriname’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Melvin W. J. Bouva announced on the Global Citizen Festival stage that the country will be able to permanently protect 90% of its forests in perpetuity, raising the bar for global climate ambition by showcasing how a small nation can lead the way in protecting our planet’s future by balancing conservation with economic development. 

Additionally, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) announced a landmark $100 million pledge channeled through its Amazonia Forever Program to support conservation and sustainable development across the Amazon. $25 million of this pledge will go towards investing in bio-businesses and adaptation projects that benefit Indigenous, Afro-descendant, and riverine communities, while the remaining $75 million will be directed to the IDB’s Water Security Fund, increasing water security and resilience in some of the Amazon’s poorest communities. 

Also at Impact Sessions, Everland shared it had successfully secured $135 million via Letters of Intent to help provide long-term, stable financing for Indigenous-led forest conservation efforts in the Amazon. Directly financing these communities is vital because although Indigenous people make up just 6% of the world's population, they protect 80% of Earth's remaining biodiversity. Additionally, Thistlerock Mead Company, the US’ first net-zero honey winery, demonstrated just how small businesses can drive huge impact by pledging to protect 1 million acres of the Amazon by 2027 and raising $10 million for conservation funding in partnership with Global Citizen, Re:wild, and a coalition of other partners.

Meanwhile, Rewilding Argentina and Onçafari launched the Jaguar Rivers Initiative, backed by a $26 million pledge. This initiative will protect, restore, and reconnect ecosystems across more than 250 million hectares of the Paraná River Basin and the Pantanal, investing in projects spanning across countries including Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay, with the ultimate goals of will aim to give wildlife the space they need to roam again, while simultaneously supporting local livelihoods. 

Pledges Made Onstage at Global Citizen Festival: Amazônia 

Together, these commitments made over the 12-month campaign marked substantial progress towards achieving Protect the Amazon’s goals. After the Global Citizen Festival in New York, $345.5 million had been secured towards the campaign’s $1 billion target. But a sizable gap remained. That’s why at Global Citizen Festival: Amazônia, partners came together and rallied with more urgency than ever before, with commitments that managed to take the campaign all the way over the finish line. 

From the stage, leaders and advocates announced nearly $700 million dollars in new commitments to protect the world’s most vital rainforest and empower the communities who call it home, pushing the campaign well over its $1 billion dollar finish line. These investments represent far more than dollar signs; they reflect tangible action that will be taken to protect rainforests, build greener energy systems, and support the communities who have safeguarded ecosystems for millennia.

Protecting Rainforests and Ending Deforestation

The Amazon is at the heart of our Earth’s climate system — storing billions of tons of carbon, regulating rainfall patterns worldwide, and helping keep the planet’s temperature in check. But threats today from deforestation, industrial exploitation, and a lack of political will mean its rapidly approaching a tipping point, risking its lush rainforests one day turning into a drier savannah ecosystem, with devastating consequences for the rest of the world.

Everland announced it is leading a global coalition of partners that has now secured $160 million via Letters of Intent in support of the first 20 Indigenous-led forest conservation projects across key regions of the Amazon, building on its previous announcement at September’s Global Citizen NOW: Impact Sessions with an additional $25 million. Designed to deliver lasting social and environmental benefits, these projects could collectively generate over $1 billion in additional support for the region over the next decade. So far, projects representing nearly 90,000 Indigenous and traditional community members across 17 million hectares of the Amazon have expressed interest in participating.

Each initiative will follow the Equitable Earth Standard, a pioneering new framework that prioritizes local leadership and direct community benefits, fundamentally shifting conservation efforts towards truly equitable partnerships that recognize and resource Indigenous peoples’ role as the primary guardians of the rainforest. This work is made possible by a powerful coalition: Everland will partner directly with on-the-ground communities to design and execute projects; BNP Paribas will provide innovative financial tools to scale initial investments; and Panthera and Forest Trends will bring essential expertise in conservation and biodiversity to the table to strengthen projects even further. The announcement was made on stage by Concita Sompré, joined by Ricardo Guimaraes, CEO of BNP Paribas Brazil, Thibault Sorret, CEO of Equitable Earth, Nicia Coutinho, Brazil Director of Forest Trends, and Gerald Prolman, the Executive Chairman of Everland. 

In another exciting highlight, Banco da Amazônia’s president Luiz Less announced onstage that it would make a new commitment worth $93 million to anchor a pioneering program designed to attract up to $740 million more in catalytic capital for the Amazon. This initiative will help unlock large-scale investment in sustainable development across the region, channeling funds toward projects that protect biodiversity, strengthen local economies, and promote a forest-based bioeconomy that benefits the people who call the Amazon home. 

Additionally, Sol de Janeiro pledged $1.5 million while Re:wild committed an additional $1 million to the landmark Chief Raoni Legacy Fund, an initiative designed to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Indigenous institutions and territories to continue building on Chief Raoni’s decades-long, historic legacy. This support will facilitate the Fund’s impact across four Indigenous lands, benefiting five communities and protecting more than 6 million hectares of rainforest, helping ensure that the Amazon’s true stewards have the resources needed to continue their vital work. 

Re:wild wasn’t done yet — the organization also announced a major new investment goal of at least $25 million over the next three years to the Forest Threats and Fire Prevention Fund, with $1 million already secured. In partnership with the Coordination of Indigenous Organizations of the Brazilian Amazon (COIAB) and the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB), this pledge will strengthen Indigenous-led fire prevention across the region by supporting 100 fire brigades and 50 Indigenous associations, aiming to reduce forest fires by 25% compared to 2023 and counter the wildfires that have become, for the first time in history, the leading cause of forest loss in the Amazon through improved surveillance and enforcement, as well as expanded Indigenous advocacy and engagement.

Also during the show, presenter Hugo Gloss announced a powerful update from Sounds Right, the global music initiative led by the Museum for the United Nations (UN Live). To date, 26 million fans across 181 countries have listened to the musician NATURE, a registered, official musical artist entitled to song royalties, generating enough streams to support a $400,000 pledge to Indigenous- and community-led conservation projects across the Amazon and Congo Basin. This builds off of Sounds Right’s previous impact for frontline environmental efforts; in 2024, it supported four projects that collectively protected 4,500 hectares of natural habitat and benefited more than 6,000 people. In the lead-up to COP30 in Brazil, Sounds Right will be releasing a new playlist on November 6 featuring NATURE’s latest collaborations with African and Latin American artists, furthering the collective impact music fans can have on tropical forests worldwide.  

The festival also served as a powerful platform for countries to reaffirm their commitment to climate leadership on the global stage beyond the stadium. Michael Sheldrick, Global Citizen’s Co-Founder and Chief Policy, Impact, and Government Affairs Officer, announced that Germany, pending parliamentary approval, plans to contribute €20 million to the Legacy Landscapes Fund (LLF) to support a new financing window specifically dedicated to Indigenous and local communities. Germany’s investment will channel money directly towards efforts to preserve and bolster long-term equitable development for nature conservation, climate resilience, and the communities who most depend on protected areas of the forest for their livelihoods. 

Meanwhile, the United Kingdom made its commitment to climate leadership clear with an exclusive statement shared by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who praised the global solidarity demonstrated by the action takers in the audience and emphasized the UK’s commitment to step up, not step back, in addressing the climate crisis. "It is fantastic so many people have gathered to show their support for climate action at the Global Citizen Festival,” he conveyed to the crowds. On the eve of his attendance at COP30, he shared, “I am determined to be part of the urgent change we need to see, which is why I am traveling to Brazil to work with other countries and deliver the clean energy revolution, creating jobs, lowering bills, and delivering energy security for us all.” 

France also made its support and belief in the values of the PTA’s campaign goals clear with a video statement submitted by French Minister Delegate Éléonore Caroit. In her remarks, Caroit expressed her country’s support for protecting critical tropical rainforests and basins worldwide, including the Amazon, the Congo Basin, and those found in Southeast Asia. Reflecting on the the country’s climate leadership to date, Caroit reported that France is on track to fulfilling its commitment made at COP28 in 2023 to invest €500 million towards forest protection by the end of 2027, further noting that it continues to be one the world’s top supporters of the Global Environment Facility to promote sustainable forest management worldwide. “Together, we reaffirm France’s dedication to supporting the rainforest, advancing sustainable development, and fostering global solidarity. Thank you all for your commitment. Let us continue this vital work with you.” 

A Just Transition Away from Fossil Fuels

Meeting global climate goals is impossible without an accelerated and equitable phase-out of coal, oil, and gas. The Protect the Amazon campaign focused on efforts calling on governments, corporations, and financial institutions to establish clear, time-bound commitments to end fossil fuel dependence and invest in a future powered by renewable energy: one that delivers both environmental and social justice. Clean energy investment can transform lives, closing inequality gaps, driving sustainable growth, and helping to ensure that the global transition to renewables is not only fast, but fair.

Among this year’s most transformative commitments, Energea, a renewable energy investment platform, pledged to deliver clean, reliable electricity to 20,000 off-grid households in Colombia by 2030 through a commitment worth $50 million, ultimately reaching an estimated total of 62,000 people. The initiative will focus on the La Guajira and Sierra Nevada regions, where remote and Indigenous communities have long lacked access to consistent, affordable power. Each household will receive a 1kW pole-mounted solar system equipped with battery storage, lighting, and electrical outlets, enabling families to study after dark, power essential devices, and participate in new economic opportunities. Because energy access is about more than just turning on a light. Beyond providing literal power, these systems will help unlock access to economic opportunities, making tangible progress toward sustainable equity and climate resilience, offering a gateway to securing health, education, and economic prosperity.  

Next, energy company Schneider Electric announced the next phase of its 12-part Sustainability Plan, setting a bold new goal to accelerate its progress on providing equitable energy access and community development. Between 2026 and 2030, Arthur Wong, South America Vice President of Marketing and Sustainability, and Karolina Gutiez, South America Senior Manager of Corporate, Government Affairs, and Sustainability, announced that Schneider Electric will invest in training 4 million young people in essential technical skills training, empowering the next generation to take a leading role in building the green economy. This announcement is the company’s latest objective to its overall plan to expand clean energy access to 10 million people worldwide, helping to close the energy gap for communities most in need while achieving its broader goal of helping its clients achieve true carbon neutrality, setting a benchmark for private sector leadership in sustainability. 

In another substantial announcement made via video, Fumani Mthembi Ndumiso Nyoni, Co-Foundation and Sustainability DIrector of the South African energy company Pele Energy Group, unveiled a new $125 million commitment dedicated to transforming the lives of people living in the communities hosting the company’s renewable energy projects worldwide. Through investments in areas such as skills development, social infrastructure, and boosting up green industries, this pledge aims to build up thriving local economies. Altogether, this funding will directly impact the lives of one million people across South Africa, Central and South America, and sub-Saharan Africa. This commitment builds towards expanding Pele’s existing community programs and the launch of a new initiative in Argentina alongside its renewable energy power project in the country. As Nyoni shared in her message, “We cannot be free if we are not all free. Therefore, we have a responsibility to participate in changing the lives of those Global Citizens who do not experience themselves as free and equal in today’s world,” echoing the company’s belief that a just transition must deliver tangible benefits for all and leave no one behind. 

Another substantial commitment to accelerate a just energy transition for communities living across the Amazon was delivered via video by Rajiv Joshi, Founder of Bridging Ventures, who announced the launch of the Journey Fund, which will introduce a bold new way to connect investors with government and community-led projects focusing on building a just energy transition throughout the region. The fund is taking off first in Colombia with a pilot fund worth $10 million in committed capital, with eyes towards scaling to meet a $200 million campaign target. This pilot will deliver clean solar power to 50,000 people living in remote, off-grid Amazonian communities, including Mitú and Puerto Leguízamo, removing 38,000 tons of CO₂ emissions each year by cutting demand for imported fossil fuels.

The best part? This model is built to scale. In Colombia alone, this project could soon reach 650,000 people, reduce 2.5 million tons of CO₂  annually, and strengthen local economies. Over the next five years, the Journey Fund aims to mobilize more than $2 billion by 2030, supporting areas like Belém worldwide that are committed to phasing out oil and gas with support from the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty. As Joshi shared, “The Journey Fund is not only about financing and de-risking the transition, it is also about justice, cooperation, and hope. It is about ensuring that the clean energy revolution leaves no one behind. I invite you to join this movement, because the true measure of progress is not what we extract from the earth, but what we restore to it and one another.”

Supporting Frontline Communities

Ending extreme poverty and addressing the climate crisis are inseparable from one another. A firm pillar of the PTA campaign was based on the principle that the world’s largest emitters have a responsibility to ensure that those bearing the brunt of climate impacts have the resources they need to adapt, rebuild, and thrive. That’s why the PA championed pledges that would ensure polluters pay for the damage they cause, along with sustained investment in the communities most affected by escalating environmental crises. 

In one of the night’s major highlights, festival presenting partner Banco do Brasil stepped up with a major new commitment worth $185 million dollars to be distributed by the end of 2026, as part of their broader strategy to foster sustainable development across the region. This pledge anchors its even more ambitious goal: to invest $1 billion in Amazonian communities and conservation efforts by 2030. 

In yet another powerful demonstration of how finance can drive that kind of inclusive, sustainable development, the Soros Economic Development Fund (SEDF), the impact investing arm of the Open Society Foundations, committed $35 million to further advance nature-based solutions across Brazil and Latin America. The investment will help local community projects that protect forests, restore ecosystems, grow food sustainably, and build even better lives as they strengthen their resilience to climate change. In a video announcement unpacking the fund for the Festival audience, Anita Fiori, SEDF’s Investments Principal, explained that, “These projects altogether will benefit over 800,000 people. It will produce thousands of jobs. We will make sure that over 6 million hectares of land will be sustainably managed. And with that, we will avoid the emission of 5 million tons of CO2 in the air.” 

Key initiatives supported by the fund include SP Ventures, a Brazil-based, agri-tech fund backing early-stage companies that boosts suppliers of organic fertilizers and insecticides for green as well as EcoEnterprises Fund, a women-led investment firm based in Costa Rica that focuses on investing in businesses that create green jobs and protect biodiversity throughout Latin America. Fiori also highlighted the Amazon Biodiversity Fund, which focuses exclusively on supporting local Indigenous communities in the Brazilian Amazon. Together, these initiatives show that smart, inclusive economic growth can — and must — work hand in hand with protecting our planet. “We are here to spark a movement, guys. We are not the only investors in the game,” Fiori said. “Please join the fight with us. It’s possible to make viable investments with the sole goal of protecting the people and the planet.” 

The Global Citizen Festival: Amazônia stage also spotlighted a significant commitment from the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), which pledged $20 million over the next five years (with the possibility of scaling this figure up to $50 million by procuring new investments) to support Indigenous communities among the hardest-hit by climate change across the Amazon and other biomes under environmental threat. The pledge was announced via video by CIMMYT Director General Bram Govaets, who explained, “This commitment will allow communities to create food security while we leave the trees standing. And through that, building thriving communities and building peace within a protected biodiversity, a protected biome.” In this way, this funding will directly strengthen the resilience of local food systems for those most at risk from rising temperatures, drought, and deforestation, yet have done the most to safeguard nature for generations. 

The investment will fund projects that improve food security, restore degraded land, and expand sustainable livelihoods rooted in Indigenous leadership. In doing so, CIMMYT is helping to build a future where those who have long defended the Earth are empowered to lead the solutions that secure its survival. And they’re asking more people to join this fight with them. “There is no voice too soft, or no voice too loud, to come together, and together, change and design the future we want. 2030 is close, 2040, 2050 — many of you young people out there will still be living on this planet. It’s the loud and the soft voices together that will design the world we want, the world we together can construct.”

A different pledge that promises to improve food security throughout the region came from Crop Trust. Appearing via video, Director of Programs Sarada Krishnan revealed that the organization is launching a $10 million initiative to protect biodiversity, strengthen food systems, and promote agricultural resilience across Latin America and the Amazon. It will approach this challenge through three prongs: First, Crop Trust will expand its existing Power of Diversity funding facility to preserve local, traditional crops (known as opportunity crops) that are highly nutritious, climate-resilient, but full of untapped economic potential. Second, it will launch a vegetable biodiversity rescue plan along with a campaign conducted in partnership with the World Vegetable Center to provide nutritious meals to school children and investing in traditional produce to improve access to diverse, nutritious diets. Lastly, Crop Trust will establish a new Latin American hub within a global consortium for food plants working to safeguard plants vital to local food systems. As Krishnan put it, “Every signature, every shared story, and every small individual action helps protect the seeds that secure a future. Join us in securing the foundation of our food for generations to come, because every plate, every farmer, and every child depends on it.”

Recognizing that climate change is fueling not only growing environmental crises but also health emergencies, Brazil announced it’s pledging $72 million to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, to help protect vulnerable children across Latin America and around the world from diseases exacerbated by rising temperatures and extreme weather. Climate-driven illnesses such as dengue, yellow fever, malaria, and cholera are increasingly threatening underserved populations, especially in low-income regions. Through this commitment, Brazil reaffirmed its leadership in advancing climate resilience through health equity, supporting Gavi’s mission to make life-saving vaccines accessible at a fraction of the cost. Brazil also called on other nations to join them in building a healthier, safer, and more sustainable future for all.

In another video announcement, Isabella Godoy, Head of Fundraising and Investor Relations at RISE | Life-Centered Investments, shared it will launch the Biomes Fund, a $100 million initiative to scale growth-stage companies driving climate and sustainability solutions across Brazil over the next four years, with $32.2 million already secured to date. The Biomes Fund will target businesses in sectors that are at the forefront of advancing the green economy, including renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, water and waste management, the circular economy, sustainable construction, and sustainable construction. Investing in these industries is essential to prove the premise that sustainable development goes hand-in-hand with protecting the planet. Building on the success of RISE’s first fund, whose investments have already helped avoid over 2 million tons of carbon emissions, preserved 360 million liters of water, recycled 1.1 million tons of packaging, and expanded education and credit access to over 13 million people, impact that the Biomes Fund aims to match and expand on. With this commitment, RISE is demonstrating exactly how private investment can boost lasting climate action, empowering sustainable industries and communities alike. As Godoy emphasized in her remarks, “If you are an entrepreneur, know companies that fit this mandate, or are an investor, join us. The more people aligned building the solution, the better. Private capital is central for us to have a habitable planet. Thank you and congratulations to Global Citizen for promoting this agenda.” 

Onstage in Belém, Jader Helder, Brazil’s Minister of Cities, took the stage to share with the crowds news about a brand new initiative in partnership with the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the Sustainable Finance Observatory, called the SHIFT Project. This groundbreaking initiative will aim to accelerate climate resilience and sustainable development in small and mid-sized cities across the world, starting in Brazil. In a separate video announcement, Martin Kause, Director of the Climate Change Division at UNEP, shared that €20.5 million has been committed so far, which will help 100 subnational governments jump on fresh ideas and turn them into reality faster by 2030. The ultimate goal? To connect local communities with global expertise and funding to help transform cities into greener, fairer, and more resilient places to live in the future. It’ll do this by investing in essential services including clean transport and renewable energy, bridging the vast gap that exists between smaller cities and global resources. Over the next few years, SHIFT seeks to engage 30 countries by 2030, create green jobs in 100 cities, and shift climate financing from the billions into the trillions for communities on the frontlines of the climate crisis.   

Finally, World Resources Institute (WRI) Brasil announced the launch of Fundo Flora (Flora Fund), an ambitious new initiative designed to transform the lives of those leading the fight to restore the Amazon, from smallholder farmers to local entrepreneurs working to restore degraded lands. In a video announcement, WRI Brasil’s Interim Executive Director Mirela Sandrini unpacked the goals of the fund in detail, explaining how, managed by Sitawi, it will direct $10 million toward local restoration champions in the state of Pará by the end of 2026, $4.9 million of which has already been secured through partnerships. By 2026, the initiative is expected to restore up to 20,000 hectares of land, benefiting over 10,000 people and building up a portfolio of locally-based enterprises ready for investment. 

In a stirring call to action, Laura Thompson, Assistant Director-General for External and Corporate Relations at the International Labour Organization (ILO), underscored the urgent need for climate action that also takes into account social justice and quality job security for all. “The world of work is on the frontline of the climate crisis,” Thompson warned, noting that rising temperatures threaten to erode decades of progress in poverty reduction and sustainable development. “But there is hope.” The world can choose to pursue a just transition forward, one that creates new jobs, strengthens societies, and betters livelihoods. The ILO calls on Global Citizens everywhere to champion climate action that “works for people, businesses, and our planet” ahead of COP30 in Belém later this month.  

Total Protect the Amazon Commitments

Over the last 13 years, Global Citizen has helped deploy more than $50 billion in commitments made through its platform and events, impacting 1.3 billion lives worldwide. These milestones prove that while Global Citizen’s mission to defeat poverty and defend the planet is bold, tangible progress can be achieved when people campaign collectively, act strategically, and demand bold actions from our leaders. 

At this year’s Festival, Global Citizens took 4.4 million actions calling on world leaders, philanthropists, corporations, and organizations to step up with bold commitments to step up for the Amazon and rainforests everywhere. The results of the campaign were clear: more than $1 billion raised, 31 million hectares protected, and 18 million people’s lives impacted. Collectively, these pledges mark a decisive step forward in protecting the Amazon rainforest’s ecosystems, advancing Indigenous rights, and laying the groundwork for sustainable livelihoods, fostering a new era of true climate leadership.

Global Citizen has a strict due diligence and accountability process to ensure that all commitments announced are brand new and come complete with a clear, detailed plan for delivery. Each pledge is vetted, monitored, and evaluated from beginning to final implementation for its measurable impact and alignment with Global Citizen’s campaign objectives. 

Read on for a comprehensive rundown of every pledge made over the course of the year-long Protect the Amazon campaign: 

The Most Sustainable Festival in the Amazon’s History

Global Citizen Festival: Amazônia set a historic benchmark for environmentally-conscious live events, becoming the most sustainable music festival ever held in the Amazon region. A true reflection of the values of the entirety of the PTA campaign, every aspect of the event was designed to minimize its ecological footprint and model sustainable practices for large-scale cultural events that may come in the future. 

First, the festival was powered entirely by battery systems, biofuels free of oil and gas, and solar energy collected right from the roof of the Mangueirão Stadium, demonstrating the potential transformative force that renewable energy technology can provide in one of the world’s most climate-critical regions. To further reduce the festival’s impact, Global Citizen relied on a majority local crew to produce the event using only regional supplies and equipment, reducing unnecessary emissions produced from flying and shipping while strengthening the event’s ties with the community. 

The festival site itself incorporated sustainability at every step. The stage was built with low-impact bamboo, while attendees enjoyed recycling and compost stations, sustainable food packaging, and absolutely no single-use plastics on site. These efforts were undertaken in collaboration with Rock World’s Sustainability Operations team. Crucially, the festival’s entire carbon footprint was offset through generous contributions from Comerc Energia and Future Climate, collectively covering all the emissions the night generated. All emissions were independently monitored and will be verified by independent experts including Hope Solutions and Showpower, who will create comprehensive greenhouse gas and energy impact post-event assessments. 

Together, these efforts meant that Global Citizen Festival: Amazônia became not only a celebration of all that the Protect the Amazon campaign had achieved, but a true embodiment of sustainability in practice, proving that protecting the planet does not have to come at the cost of bringing people together. 

Looking Ahead: The Next Stage of Protecting Our Planet

As the world looks toward the next major milestone on the global climate agenda, Rio Nature & Climate Week, taking place June 1–6, 2026, in Rio de Janeiro, stands as one of the next major milestones to look forward to. Announced during the Global Citizen Festival in New York in September 2025, this landmark initiative marks a five-year partnership between the City of Rio de Janeiro, Global Citizen, Re:wild, and local partners, uniting leaders across sectors to advance nature-based solutions and elevate Global South actors as central drivers of climate action. Building on Rio’s legacy as the host of the 1992 Earth Summit, which gave rise to the UN climate and biodiversity conventions, this event will reaffirm the city’s pivotal role in shaping a sustainable global future while carrying forward the spirit of the PTA campaign and setting the stage for a new era of global cooperation. 

Global Citizen Festival: Amazônia stands as a powerful example of what’s possible when governments, corporations, grassroots organizations, and everyday citizens unite to defend the planet. Together, Global Citizens helped mobilize $1 billion to protect the Amazon, funds that will safeguard local and Indigenous communities, preserve ecosystems, and strengthen resilience against illegal deforestation and mining. 

But the work continues. Ahead of COP30 in Belém, Global Citizen is calling on governments — especially the United Kingdom, Germany, and France — to step up with new, innovative financing mechanisms and to strengthen their national climate plans to match the urgency of the moment, and turn global promises into real protection for our planet’s future. Beyond the Amazon, Global Citizen is also looking ahead to the next major stop in its fight for climate justice and a just energy transition in South Africa, where Global Citizen NOW: Johannesburg will be held to coincide with the upcoming G20 summit and drive pledges to our Scaling Up Renewables in Africa campaign, dedicating to helping triple tripling renewable energy capacity in Africa by 2030. In partnership with the European Commission and the Republic of South Africa, this campaign is calling for new public and private investments to accelerate renewable energy projects in Africa and address energy poverty across the continent, contributing to the World Bank Group and the African Development Bank’s Mission 300. Register your interest to learn more about how you can be a part here. 

As Global Citizen continues to drive collective action to end extreme poverty and protect the planet, our mission remains clear: to create a world where every voice counts and moves us closer to a fair, sustainable future for all. Since our founding, $50 billion in commitments made through Global Citizen platforms have already been deployed, impacting 1.3 billion lives—proof that when citizens act, leaders follow. Join the movement at globalcitizen.org, download the Global Citizen app, and follow Global Citizen on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, X and LinkedIn. 

Together, we can make sure that the Amazon’s story, and our shared future, continues to be one of resilience and hope.