Explore ChangeNOW 2025’s vibrant ecosystem—spotlighting breakthrough solutions, youth and investor engagement, and the global shift from intent to concrete action.
Introduction: Paris Becomes the Global Capital of Impact
What does it look like when 40,000 innovators, investors, climate leaders, and entrepreneurs join forces at the Grand Palais in Paris to accelerate the world’s sustainability transition? ChangeNOW 2025 provided the answer, transforming Paris into a global hub for actionable solutions, radical collaboration, and purpose-driven growth.
Celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Paris Agreement, the event was both a crossroads—reflecting on urgent progress—and a launchpad for a new era of climate action, social inclusion, and regenerative business.
The Summit’s Scale: A Global Expo of Solutions
ChangeNOW 2025 convened:
Speakers: 500+ including Mary Robinson, Natalie Portman, and Laurent Fabius
Participants: 40,000 from 140+ countries
Companies: 10,000 innovators
Investors: 1,200+ forging impact partnerships
Exhibitors: 380 onsite, 1,000+ solutions presented
The summit’s theme, “From Intent to Impact,” focused on moving beyond climate pledges to tangible outcomes—delivering solutions around climate, energy, biodiversity, circular economy, mobility, smart cities, and inclusive leadership.
Strategic Signals: What Set ChangeNOW 2025 Apart
Five Signals Driving the Transition emerged from this year’s event, as highlighted by experts and attendees :
1. Concrete Solutions and Partnerships
Not just talk—ChangeNOW showcases real working innovations, with standout solutions like:
Yuka & Novobiom: Empowering consumers and cleaning land with tech
Justdiggit: Large-scale land restoration in Africa
Soilytix: AI-driven soil and crop analysis
Flint Paper Battery: Next-gen recyclable energy storage
2. Impact Investment and Capital Matchmaking
The Funds for Change program, run in partnership with Toniic, facilitated targeted matchmaking between global investors and impact-driven funds, mobilising capital for the most promising solutions. Family offices, LPs, and GPs met in curated sessions to bridge capital gaps—demonstrating Paris’s expanding role in impact investing.
3. Youth, Inclusion, and Education
ChangeNOW’s Youth Program was a critical pillar—engaging more than 300 youth from priority urban and rural areas through immersive experiences, challenges, and an inclusion awards ceremony. From hands-on missions to spontaneous debates on education, inclusion and climate justice, participants explored new ways to co-create sustainable futures.
The event’s educational focus addressed global gaps: UNESCO highlighted 250 million children still out of school—exploring how themes like climate resilience and social inclusion must be integrated into formal education.
Keynotes, Networks and New Voices
Women for Change: Spotlighting 25 female leaders driving change at national and international levels; workshops empowered women and expanded networks.demic Institutions at the Forefront
INSEAD’s Academic Leadership: From governance best practices for boards to panels on landscape restoration and just transition, world-class institutions anchored the discussions.
Planet Week Extension: Auxiliary events from embassies, galleries, and public spaces expanded summit influence—making Paris the “global capital of impact” for the week.
Major Outcomes and Insights
1. From Commitments to Impact
Reflecting on ten years post-Paris Agreement, ChangeNOW reinforced urgent action. The consensus: We are racing not just against the climate clock, but toward a generational opportunity for systemic transformation.
Themes like regenerative agriculture, biodiversity preservation, green entrepreneurship, and circular economy remained central; the “5 Rs”—Reduce, Refuse, Recycle, Repair, Reuse—were emphasised for industry and lifestyle transformation.
2. Social, Economic, and Career Growth
“Green equals growth and green equals jobs”—the summit reinforced that sustainability is not a trade-off, but a source of competitive advantage and employment. Earthshot Prize winners and others spotlighted how companies can grow and reduce emissions, attracting top talent while driving impact.
3. Ecosystem Collaboration
ChangeNOW proved exponentiality isn’t just about crisis—it applies to solutions, community actions, and growing momentum for good. Family offices, corporations, and NGOs used the summit to forge strategic partnerships, scale pilots, and commit new resources
Looking Ahead: The Road to COP30, 2030, and Beyond
ChangeNOW 2025 was future-facing:
The water-focused “Odyssey” exhibition, open to the public, modeled how to democratize climate actions and knowledge
Next steps include follow-ups to COP30, UN Ocean Conference, and expanded ChangeNOW Communities for local/global action
The summit issued an open call for everyone—from students to CEOs—to move from intention to bold implementation
Cambio’s Role in the Ecosystem
Cambio attended ChangeNOW to:
- Learn: Observe the latest breakthroughs, networks, and cross-sector strategies
- Connect: Meet peers, innovators, and future partners within a living ecosystem for change
- Share: Bring insights back to clients and partners, translating lessons into practical, regenerative leadership and social impact growth
While Cambio’s attendance was just one small part of the summit’s narrative, our team and clients benefit directly from being part of this dynamic, generational movement toward a livable, thriving future for all.
To stay informed with the latest insights for social enterprises, social innovation, subscribe to our newsletter for monthly updates straight to your inbox.
References
- Smart Cities Marketplace – “ChangeNOW Conference 2025”
https://smart-cities-marketplace.ec.europa.eu/news-and-events/events/changenow-conference-2025 - Business France Media – “Change Now – en.media.businessfrance.fr”
https://en.media.businessfrance.fr/events/change-now-b60ab-aba4d.html - HEC Paris x ChangeNOW 2025 – Event Overview and Sessions
https://www.hec.edu/en/school/events/hec-paris-x-changenow-2025 - Club of Rome – “ChangeNOW 2025”
https://www.clubofrome.org/events/changenow-2025/ - Grand Palais – “ChangeNOW 2025 Event Program”
https://www.grandpalais.fr/fr/programme/changenow-2025 - 4 per 1000 Initiative – “ChangeNOW, The world expo of solutions for the planet”
https://4p1000.org/events/changenow-lexposition-mondiale-des-solutions-pour-la-planete/?lang=en - ChangeNOW Official Website
https://www.changenow.world - Magazine Horse – “Paris celebrates ChangeNOW 2025, the global forum driving the ecological and social transition”
https://www.magazinehorse.com/en/paris-celebrates-changenow-2025-the-global-forum-driving-the-ecological-and-social-transition/ - The Independent – “Catalyst for climate action: Discover the global event that’s bringing fresh energy to planet-positive solutions”
https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/climate-sustainability-planet-event-changenow-b2726743.html - Renewable Matter – “ChangeNOW 2025: Celebrating Ten Years of the Paris Agreement”
https://www.renewablematter.eu/en/changenow-2025-tenyears-paris-agreement - ChangeNOW Planet Week 2025 – Paris, the Global Capital of Impact
https://www.changenow.world/changenow-planet-week-2025-paris-the-global-capital-of-impact/ - Quest Studio – “ChangeNOW 2025: A Decade On, Turning Commitments into Action”
https://queststudio.be/blog-post/changenow-2025-a-decade-on-turning-commitments-into-action/ - LinkedIn – Toniic Partnering With ChangeNOW
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/toniic-partnering-changenow-accelerate-impactful-connections-toniic-vmwxc/ - Springwise – “Hope to action: what we learned at ChangeNOW 2025”
https://springwise.com/diverse-nature/hope-to-action-what-we-learned-at-changenow-2025/ - Ellie Connect – “ChangeNOW 2025: Building the Future — Step by Step”
https://ellieconnect.com/changenow-2025-building-the-future-step-by-step/ - INSEAD – “INSEAD at ChangeNOW 2025: Empowering impact entrepreneurship”
https://www.insead.edu/news/insead-changenow-2025-empowering-impact-entrepreneurship-emerging-markets - AEconomiaB – “Educação para o futuro: os caminhos apresentados no ChangeNOW 2025”
https://www.aeconomiab.com/solucoes-de-educacao-changenow-2025/ - Threading Change – “The Future is Youth: Threading Change at the 2025 ChangeNOW”
https://www.threadingchange.org/blog/thefutureisyouth - ChangeNOW Official Themes Page
https://www.changenow.world/themes/ - GoodnessandCo – “Reflections from ChangeNOW 2025”
https://goodnessandco.one/2025/05/05/reflections-from-changenow-2025-%F0%9F%92%AB/ - ChangeNOW Official – “Unveiling the first 10 solutions selected for ChangeNOW 2023!”
https://www.changenow.world/unveiling-the-first-10-solutions-selected-for-changenow-2023/ - HEC Paris – “ChangeNOW 2025: Spotlight on Climate Action and Entrepreneurial Innovation”
https://www.hec.edu/en/innovation-entrepreneurship-institute/news/changenow-2025-spotlight-climate-action-and-entrepreneurial-innovation - NOW Partners – “NOW at ChangeNOW, Paris”
https://now.partners/2025-now-changenow/