Nearly 750 million people around the world still live without reliable electricity.

For millions of families, that means far more than living without lights. It means children unable to study after sunset, health clinics facing power cuts during critical care, medicines that can't always be kept safely refrigerated, businesses struggling to grow, and communities cut off from the opportunities reliable electricity makes possible. When the lights come on, everything changes.

Reliable, affordable electricity — and the electrification it makes possible — has become one of the defining challenges and opportunities of our time. It sits at the heart of economic development, healthcare, education, digital connectivity, and resilient communities. Yet despite remarkable progress, millions of people still lack the power needed to build brighter futures.

This October, Global Citizen will bring together leaders from government, business, philanthropy, First Peoples and Indigenous communities, academia, and civil society to help change that.

From Oct. 18-20, 2026, Global Citizen NOW: Perth will take place at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre in Western Australia, creating a platform where leaders from different sectors can advance practical solutions, announce new commitments, strengthen partnerships, and mobilize investment that expands clean energy access, accelerates electrification, strengthens energy security, and supports global development.

Taking place just weeks before COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye, Global Citizen NOW: Perth is designed to help shape many of the commitments and collaborations that could define the next chapter of the global clean energy transition.

“Reliable electricity changes lives. It means a child can study after sunset. A vaccine fridge keeps working. A health clinic can safely deliver babies. A small business can stay open. Right now, almost 750 million people are living without reliable electricity, trapping communities in extreme poverty. Ahead of COP31, Global Citizen NOW: Perth will bring together leaders from across the Indo-Pacific and the world to help change that,” says Michael Sheldrick, Co-Founder and Chief Policy, Impact and Government Affairs Officer, Global Citizen. 

The challenges are significant, but so is the opportunity. That's what Global Citizen NOW: Perth is designed to unlock.

Why Global Citizen NOW: Perth Matters

Global Citizen NOW was created with one belief in mind: the world's biggest challenges cannot be solved by one government, one business, or one organization alone.

Progress happens when people from different sectors, experiences, and perspectives come together with a shared purpose. By bringing governments, businesses, philanthropies, Indigenous leaders, investors, innovators, and civil society together, Global Citizen NOW helps transform ambition into measurable action.

That mission has never been more important.

Global Citizen NOW: Perth comes at a pivotal moment. While governments will gather in Antalya, Türkiye, for COP31 to negotiate the future of climate action, many of the partnerships, investments, and commitments that shape those discussions begin long before delegates arrive.

That's where Global Citizen NOW: Perth comes in. By bringing decision-makers together before COP31, the summit aims to strengthen collaboration, unlock new commitments, and build momentum before the world's attention turns to Antalya.

Why Perth?

Perth may be the host city, but the ambitions of Global Citizen NOW extend far beyond Western Australia.

The Indo-Pacific will play a defining role in the future of clean energy. Home to rapidly growing economies, abundant renewable energy resources, and many of the critical minerals needed for the global energy transition, the region is uniquely positioned to accelerate solutions that benefit communities around the world.

Western Australia is positioned within that story. With world-leading renewable resources, industrial expertise, and strong regional partnerships, the state is helping build the cleaner industries and supply chains that will power tomorrow's energy system, making Perth an ideal place for leaders to align around the investments and innovations needed to expand reliable electricity access while supporting sustainable economic growth.

“It’s incredibly special to be back in Perth, where Global Citizen’s journey began 15 years ago. With world-class renewable resources, Western Australia has an extraordinary opportunity to create good jobs while helping expand access to reliable electricity that powers schools, hospitals, businesses and communities across the Indo-Pacific,” adds Sheldrick.

The summit will also highlight the leadership of Australia's First Peoples alongside Indigenous leaders from around the world. For generations, Indigenous communities have demonstrated deep knowledge of environmental stewardship, climate resilience, and Caring for Country. Their perspectives will help shape conversations about building a cleaner, more inclusive, and more resilient future.

Who's Expected to Participate?

Global Citizen NOW has become Global Citizen's premier platform for advancing action on some of the world's biggest challenges. Each summit brings together leaders who can help move policy, investment, and partnerships forward — creating opportunities for collaboration that continue long after the event concludes.

The first speakers announced for Global Citizen NOW: Perth include President of Timor-Leste and Nobel Peace Laureate, José Ramos-Horta; Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda and Commonwealth Chair-in-Office, H.E. Gaston Browne; Premier of Western Australia and Minister for Defence Industries, Tourism, Trade and Investment, Hon. Roger Cook; Global President & CEO of Asia Society and 26th Prime Minister of Australia, Kevin Rudd; Executive Director of the International Energy Agency, Dr Fatih Birol; Captain of the Fremantle Dockers, Alex Pearce; and Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Amina J. Mohammed, who will deliver a video address.

They will be joined by industry changemakers and leaders from government, business, philanthropy, First Peoples and Indigenous communities, academia, and civil society, underscoring the cross-sector collaboration needed to accelerate the global energy transition. Additional speakers, partners, and programming will be announced in the coming months. Explore the latest speaker lineup here. 

Turning Ambition Into Action

Global Citizen NOW: Perth marks the culmination of Global Citizen's year-long campaign to expand clean electricity while supporting the industries that will power the world's energy future.

Working alongside governments, businesses, philanthropic organizations, and regional partners, the summit will seek commitments to:

• Expand reliable and affordable electricity access to up to 4 million homes across the world.
• Deliver at least 2.5 gigawatts of additional renewable energy capacity.
• Accelerate green industrial projects, including green iron, battery supply chains and other industries needed to build tomorrow's energy system.
• Protect nature while creating new jobs and economic opportunity.
• Expand access to health, education and economic opportunity across the Indo-Pacific.
• Spotlight Australian recipients of the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund.

These commitments reflect a broader vision for the clean energy transition — one that protects nature, creates jobs, strengthens energy security, and expands access to healthcare, education, and economic opportunity. When communities have access to dependable energy, they are better equipped to build healthier, more resilient futures.

By bringing together leaders with the ability to act, Global Citizen NOW: Perth aims to turn ambition into measurable progress. 

A Global Platform for Lasting Progress

The summit also marks Global Citizen's return to Perth for the first time in 15 years following the organization's landmark End of Polio concert. As 2026 marks the 70th anniversary of the first polio vaccine, the event reflects Global Citizen's longstanding connection with Australia while looking firmly toward the future.

While Global Citizen NOW: Perth will take place in Western Australia, its impact is intended to reach far beyond one city or one country. The partnerships strengthened, investments unlocked, and commitments announced during the summit have the potential to help expand clean energy access, support stronger healthcare and education systems, create new economic opportunities, and improve lives across the Indo-Pacific and around the world.

Real progress depends on collaboration. When governments, businesses, philanthropies, Indigenous leaders, and communities work toward shared goals, ideas become action and ambition becomes impact.

Ahead of COP31, Global Citizen NOW: Perth will provide that platform — helping transform ideas into commitments, commitments into measurable progress, and collaboration into lasting impact.