What Global Optimism does

Global Optimism is a UK-registered private limited company (Global Optimism Strategy Ltd) founded in 2016 by Christiana Figueres, the former UNFCCC Executive Secretary who led the Paris Agreement process, and Tom Rivett-Carnac, her former UN colleague. The organization functions as a mission-driven climate advocacy platform, generating revenue through philanthropic grants, strategic partnerships, and book royalties rather than commercial product sales, and offering all programs and content free of charge.

Its core offerings include the Outrage + Optimism weekly climate podcast, The Climate Pledge (a corporate net-zero commitment initiative co-founded with Amazon in 2019), Climate Leader Retreats (mindfulness-based programs in partnership with Plum Village monastics), the Groundswell narrative-reframing program (launched 2023 with the Bezos Earth Fund and Systems Change Lab), the Mission 2025 coalition, and the Count Us In citizen engagement platform. The organization also publishes books including the bestseller The Future We Choose (14+ languages) and When We All Stopped. Its technology footprint is primarily digital content distribution — podcasts, newsletters, websites, and social media — with no proprietary software platform, app, or public API.

The organization serves a heterogeneous stakeholder base spanning corporate signatories of The Climate Pledge (600+ companies including Amazon, Uber, HCLTech, and Mahindra Logistics), policymakers and climate envoys, financial institutions (including a strategic advisor role with the Net Zero Asset Owner Alliance, which manages approximately $10 trillion in AUM), climate activists, and general-public citizens reached through Count Us In (targeting 1 billion people). Its go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, built on high-profile convenings (Climate Leader Retreats, TED Countdown, Earthshot Prize, COP-adjacent gatherings), podcast distribution, and sustained earned media coverage in outlets including The Guardian, WSJ, FT, BBC, and Bloomberg.

Name

Global Optimism

Legal name

Global Optimism Strategy Ltd

Website

https://globaloptimism.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Global Optimism is a UK-based mission-driven climate advocacy organization founded in 2016 by former UNFCCC leaders Christiana Figueres and Tom Rivett-Carnac. It operates The Climate Pledge (with Amazon), a podcast, books, retreats, and global coalitions to drive corporate and citizen climate action.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Climate Advocacy and Sustainability Advisory

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

akta.pro primary industry

Climate Change Mitigation & Adaptation (BPAGAGAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Climate Policy, Governance & NDC Support (BPADALAA), Sustainability, ESG & Climate Risk Advisory (BPAHAJAH)

Keywords

• Climate advocacy services
• Climate change podcasts
• Corporate climate advisory
• Environmental convenings
• Climate narrative consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic Funding and Grants: Global Optimism operates as a mission-driven organization funded through philanthropic partnerships and grants supporting climate action initiatives
2. Book Royalties: Revenue from sales of co-authored books 'The Future We Choose' and 'When We All Stopped' published in multiple languages globally
3. Strategic Partnership with Amazon: Co-founding The Climate Pledge with Amazon to unite companies committed to net-zero carbon emissions by 2040, potentially including programmatic funding

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Global Optimism is a climate action organization that produces thought-leadership content, convenes leaders, and runs coalition initiatives to accelerate climate action. Its core offerings include the Outrage + Optimism podcast, The Climate Pledge corporate commitment program (co-founded with Amazon), Climate Leader Retreats delivered with Plum Village monastics, the Groundswell narrative-reframing program, the Mission 2025 coalition, and the Count Us In citizen engagement platform. The organization also publishes books including 'The Future We Choose' and 'When We All Stopped'.

Product overview

Global Optimism is a climate activism organization operating as a platform of interconnected projects, podcasts, publications, and convenings. The core offerings include the Outrage + Optimism climate podcast, The Climate Pledge initiative (co-founded with Amazon), Climate Leader Retreats (mindfulness-based retreats with Plum Village), the Groundswell narrative reframing program (2023-2025), Mission 2025 coalition, and Count Us In citizen engagement platform. The organization also publishes books including 'The Future We Choose' and 'When We All Stopped'. All offerings are oriented around the 'stubborn optimism' philosophy for motivating climate action.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Outrage + Optimism: A climate podcast co-hosted by Christiana Figueres, Tom Rivett-Carnac, and Paul Dickinson, featuring weekly discussions on the politics, investments, and actions meeting the climate crisis head on.
• Groundswell
• The Climate Pledge
• Mission 2025

Products and services

• Outrage + Optimism Podcast Weekly climate podcast covering the politics, investments and actions meeting the climate crisis head on, co-hosted by Christiana Figueres, Tom Rivett-Carnac and Paul Dickinson. Free to listeners.
• The Climate Pledge Corporate commitment initiative co-founded with Amazon, uniting 600+ companies committed to net-zero carbon emissions by 2040, a decade ahead of the Paris Agreement.
• Climate Leader Retreats Global retreat program delivered in partnership with Plum Village monastics, designed to help climate and biodiversity professionals cultivate personal resilience and mindset shifts through mindfulness practices.
• Groundswell Unbranded narrative reframing program launched in 2023 to shift climate discourse from doom and apathy toward action and possibility, working across data, policy, and communications.
• Mission 2025 Coalition uniting businesses, mayors, investors, cultural leaders, health leaders, scientists, and youth activists to embolden governments toward more ambitious climate commitments.
• Count Us In Citizen engagement platform co-convened with over 100 partner organizations, aiming to activate 1 billion citizens in practical climate action steps.
• The Future We Choose Bestselling book co-authored by Christiana Figueres and Tom Rivett-Carnac, providing an inspiring manifesto on surviving the climate crisis with stubborn optimism; translated into 14+ languages and sold through major global retailers.
• When We All Stopped Children's book written by Tom Rivett-Carnac and illustrated by Bee Rivett-Carnac, published in December 2021 as part of the Jane and Me series inspired by Jane Goodall's life work.

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship, strategic and minor.

• Mission 2025 CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Coalition of businesses, mayors, investors, cultural leaders, health leaders, scientists and youth activists launched in 2023, working together to embolden governments to be more ambitious in climate commitments ahead of COP30 in Brazil.
• AmazonflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Amazon co-founded The Climate Pledge with Global Optimism in 2019, uniting companies to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2040, 10 years ahead of the Paris Agreement. Amazon committed $2 billion Climate Pledge Fund and progress on renewable energy matching 100% of electricity consumption in 2023-2024. The Pledge has grown to 600+ signatories.
• Plum Village MonasticscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal Climate Leader Retreats delivered in partnership with Plum Village monastics, helping participants nurture personal resilience and cultivate mindset needed to address climate crisis. Plum Village also offers online course 'Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet'.
• The Earthshot PrizeflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal Optimism supports and advises The Earthshot Prize. Christiana Figueres is Chair of the Board of The Earthshot Prize Council. Tom Rivett-Carnac serves on the Expert Advisory Panel. The Prize awards £1 million annually to five groundbreaking environmental solutions.
• TED CountdowncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal Optimism is a founding partner of TED Countdown alongside TED and Leaders Quest, elevating climate solutions to a commonly understood story among influential leaders changing companies, governments and financial flows.
• Count Us IncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal Optimism co-convenes Count Us In, a movement of citizens changing behaviors and community stories, with over 100 organizations aiming to activate 1 billion citizens in climate action this decade.
• Netflix Sustainability Advisory Board (Climate Avengers)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Netflix to encourage the company, staff and creators to shape stories that capture imaginations around climate action and the Net Zero + Nature Positive future.
• Net Zero Asset Owner AlliancestrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal Optimism serves as strategic advisors to the Net Zero Asset Owner Alliance, which manages approximately $10 trillion in assets. Alliance includes pension funds, insurance companies, sovereign wealth funds and philanthropies working on net-zero transitions.
• Future StewardscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal Optimism is a founding partner of Future Stewards, working alongside TED Countdown on climate stewardship initiatives.
• Earthshot PrizeflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerTom Rivett-Carnac serves as Strategy Adviser to the Earthshot Prize, launched by Prince William and The Royal Foundation as the most prestigious environmental prize.
• Stanford Law SchoolminorOthersTom Rivett-Carnac is a Fellow at Stanford Law School.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Climate Group: International climate NGO that convenes businesses and governments on net-zero and clean energy (e.g., RE100, EP100). Highly comparable mission-driven coalition builder with corporate signatory engagement, operating globally from London — overlaps directly with Global Optimism's The Climate Pledge and corporate climate advocacy work.
• CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project): Global disclosure system for environmental impact used by companies, cities and investors; Tom Rivett-Carnac was previously President & CEO of CDP North America. Operates a corporate-data and signatory engagement model highly analogous to The Climate Pledge and Global Optimism's broader advisory role with the Net Zero Asset Owner Alliance.
• We Mean Business Coalition: Coalition of businesses and climate NGOs driving ambitious corporate climate action. Directly comparable to Global Optimism's "radical collaboration" model — both aggregate corporate pledges and policy asks; team overlap (e.g., Celine Mergan previously at We Mean Business) confirms structural similarity.
• Climate Nexus: US-based climate communications and media organization providing rapid-response storytelling, journalist support and narrative research. Closest functional peer to Global Optimism's podcast, books, Groundswell and Outrage + Optimism storytelling franchise.
• The Earthshot Prize: Global environmental solutions prize (founded by Prince William) where Christiana Figueres chairs the Council and Tom Rivett-Carnac is a Strategy Adviser. Closely allied with Global Optimism on messaging and convening; shares the high-profile coalition and narrative-shift mandate.

Emerging players

• Project Drawdown: Climate solutions research and communications organization publishing the authoritative Drawdown Review. Adjacent in narrative-shifting and climate solutions storytelling but with a research-first rather than convening-first approach; comparable audience in policymakers and corporate leaders.
• Climate Analytics: Climate science and policy institute producing transition pathways, policy briefings and 1.5°C-aligned analysis used by policymakers and asset owners. Comparable to Global Optimism's Net Zero Asset Owner Alliance advisory and Mission 2025 policy work, but research-first rather than convening-first.

Broad incumbents

• C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group: Network of global mayors driving climate action, including Tom Rivett-Carnac's prior role as Special Adviser to the Global Covenant of Mayors board. Comparable coalition model targeting sub-national climate commitments and overlapping with Mission 2025's city-and-mayor strategy.
• 350.org: Large grassroots climate movement that pivoted in 2024 from mass mobilization to "Movement Green" — pursues a different (mobilization/activist) strategy than Global Optimism's elite convening model but competes for similar climate narrative mindshare and philanthropic funding.

Others

• TED (TED Countdown): Global media organization whose TED Countdown initiative is a Founding Partner with Global Optimism (alongside Leaders Quest). Functions as a content-distribution and narrative platform partner rather than a direct competitor; comparable in audience reach and storytelling orientation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/OutrageOptimism
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/outrageandoptimism
• Facebookfacebook.com/globaloptimism
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/85411843
• Instagraminstagram.com/outrageoptimism

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Global Optimism