Global Citizen names speakers for Perth clean energy summit

Global Citizen has named the first speakers and partners for its Global Citizen NOW: Perth summit, which will focus on clean energy and global development.

The gathering in Western Australia will feature José Ramos-Horta, President of Timor-Leste; Gaston Browne, Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda; Western Australian Premier Roger Cook; and Alex Pearce, captain of the Fremantle Dockers. Kevin Rudd, global president and chief executive officer of Asia Society; International Energy Agency Executive Director Dr Fatih Birol; and United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed are also due to take part virtually.

The summit is intended to bring together leaders from government, business, philanthropy, First Nations communities and civil society as Global Citizen pushes for commitments on electricity access, renewable energy and industrial development linked to the energy transition.

For the meeting, the organisation has set goals that include support for reliable, affordable electricity access for up to 4 million homes worldwide and at least 2.5 gigawatts of additional renewable energy capacity. It is also seeking backing for projects tied to green iron, battery supply chains, nature protection, and broader access to health, education and economic opportunity across the Indo-Pacific.

The event comes as almost 750 million people worldwide still live without reliable electricity, according to figures cited by the organisation. It says poor access to electricity continues to affect schools, health services and small businesses in lower-income communities.

Regional pitch

Western Australia features heavily in the summit's positioning. The organisation argues that the state's renewable resources give it scope to play a larger role in industries linked to cleaner electricity systems, while supporting broader development outcomes across the region.

That framing places Perth within a wider diplomatic and economic discussion ahead of COP31, where energy security, electrification and industrial policy are expected to remain central themes. The summit is also being presented as part of a year-long clean energy campaign run by Global Citizen.

Alongside senior political figures, the program includes executives from companies and institutions operating across energy, infrastructure and finance. Those named include Dino Otranto, chief executive officer of Fortescue Metals; Niap Juan Loh, group chief corporate officer at TPC; Zoisa North-Bond, chief executive officer of Octopus Energy Generation; Matt Tilleard, co-founder and chief executive officer of CrossBoundary Energy; and Kane Xu, senior vice president and president of international product line at Envision Energy.

Further participants span climate policy, Indigenous affairs, research and advocacy. They include Professor Peta Ashworth of the Curtin Institute for Energy Transition; Sharan Burrow of the Climateworks Centre; former Kiribati President Anote Tong; former Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven; Climate Change Authority Chair Matt Kean; and Ken Wyatt, adjunct professor of practice at the UWA Public Policy Institute.

Local backing

The summit has the support of the Western Australian Government as presenting partner. Other backers include Boundless Earth, Minderoo Foundation, Business Events Perth, the City of Perth, Curtin University, Fortescue, Murdoch University and the University of Western Australia.

Global Citizen has also assembled a broad group of civil society organisations for the Perth event, including the Australian Electric Vehicle Association, the Australian Marine Conservation Society, Beyond Zero Emissions, the Climateworks Centre, the Conservation Council of Western Australia, Doctors for the Environment Australia, the Energy Efficiency Council, Farmers for Climate, Greenpeace Australia Pacific, the Smart Energy Council, Surfers for Climate, Teachers for Climate and UnionsWA.

Established in Australia in 2008, the organisation says it has since grown into an international anti-poverty movement. More than USD $50 billion in commitments announced on its platforms has been deployed, affecting 1.3 billion lives, it says.

Perth holds particular significance for the group because it hosted an early landmark event in its history. This will be Global Citizen's first return to the city in 15 years, following its End of Polio concert there in 2011.

Global Citizen NOW has previously been staged in cities including New York, London, Cape Town and Singapore, with the forum used to convene political, business and non-profit leaders around a set of policy themes. Perth now joins that circuit as the organisation seeks to place Australia more firmly in international discussions on energy transition and development finance.

Michael Sheldrick, co-founder and chief policy, impact and government affairs officer at Global Citizen, linked the summit's agenda directly to electricity access and poverty reduction.

"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," Sheldrick said.

"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," he said.