Before the year closes, we’re taking a moment to celebrate the
Ekō movement — a fierce, unstoppable community that keeps
showing what’s possible when ordinary people take extraordinary
action together.
2025 was not an easy year: genocide, climate disasters, the rise
of oligarchs, and concentrated AI power. But through it all,
this movement rose to meet the moment, pushing for
accountability, defending human rights, and challenging the systems
that put profit over people and planet. So now, let’s look back
on twelve months of resistance, courage, and impact — a year
powered by all of us, together.
The Year We Fought for
Human Rights
Shifting
Europe’s Political Landscape: At a moment of
profound global crisis, Ekō members united in solidarity. Across
Europe, our movement helped drive unprecedented pressure to
suspend the EU–Israel Association Agreement. Polling we
commissioned in Italy showed overwhelming public support, generating
major headlines and prompting a shift in Prime Minister Meloni’s
stance. In Denmark, a full-page Ekō ad urging the Prime Minister to
“choose the right side of history” was followed days later by
Denmark announcing its support for trade suspension and new
sanctions. Thanks to Ekō members, these major breakthroughs
have reshaped the political debate.
Exposing
Maersk’s Role in Genocide: Ekō members helped force a
breakthrough in corporate accountability by pushing Maersk to
stop shipping goods to illegal Israeli settlements. The UN had
named the company in an expert report on the “economy of genocide,”
and Ekō members amplified the pressure: filing a hard-hitting
shareholder resolution, sending thousands of emails, and funding
bold ads during Maersk’s AGM, making it impossible for Maersk to
hide its role in genocide.
Challenging EU
Leadership on Palestine: As public outrage grew over the
EU’s failure to act on Gaza, Ekō members mobilised at lightning
speed. Working closely with MEP Manon Aubry, we drove thousands of
calls into MEPs’ offices in under 48 hours, urging them to support
a no-confidence motion against European Commission President
Ursula von der Leyen. 72 MEPs signed on, enough to
formally submit the motion. While it ultimately failed to pass,
it showed von der Leyen how close she is to getting sacked for her
corruption and loyalty to war criminals. And forced her to
propose, for the first time, the suspension of the EU-Israel trade
deal.
Forcing AXA to
Divest: After six years of sustained campaigning, Ekō
members helped win a monumental victory: AXA fully divested from
weapons manufacturers supplying Israel’s assault on
Gaza. And Ekō's campaign report on AXA was featured in the
new UN special rapporteur's report. This is one of the largest
financial wins in the fight for accountability, made possible by
persistence and people power.
The Year We Built the
Future, Responsibly
Protecting AI
for the Public: This year, our movement made it clear:
the future of AI must serve people, not private greed. When
Big Tech tried to refashion OpenAI for profit, our community
mobilised. We launched a bold, superhero-themed ad campaign
targeting Attorneys General in California and Delaware, plastered
flyers outside their offices, lit up Times Square with a towering
Sam Altman billboard, and ran a digital ad storm following
OpenAI’s board members wherever they went.
Even as OpenAI pushed ahead with its for-profit restructure,
our member pressure forced major concessions: an OpenAI board
member must now meet every six months with California Attorney
General Rob Bonta to report on progress toward the company’s
non-profit mission, and board member Zico Kolter, head of the safety
and security committee, now holds the power to halt new product
launches if there are safety concerns—a direct check on runaway
tech before the damage is done.
And we’re not letting up. We’ve already begun holding OpenAI
to account post-restructure by exposing how its new video
generation tool, Sora 2, allows teens to generate and view violent
and racist content. We sent these findings directly to the
Attorney General’s office and briefed the press, including
Rolling Stone, sending a clear signal: we are watching, and
OpenAI must prove it is putting humanity over profit.
Challenging
Microsoft’s Role in Genocide: When Microsoft’s
cloud and AI systems became embedded in Israel’s military
operations, we helped expose the company’s role. Together
with Microsoft workers, we co-filed a shareholder resolution
backed by 58 investors — an unprecedented number, and then
received about a quarter of the vote from shareholders, which is
exceptionally strong for a first-time resolution. We also advanced a
global legal strategy, submitting a GDPR complaint to the Irish data
protection regulator, and preparing avenues for ICC complaints.
Our movement made Microsoft a central target in the fight against
tech-enabled war crimes.
Exposing
Tech’s Harm: In 2025, Ekō members pushed some of
the world’s most powerful tech companies to face the consequences of
their actions. We exposed how Meta and X profit from
extremism and war — approving ads that fund Israeli military
gear tied to war crimes and allowing far-right campaigns that spread
genocidal rhetoric. We delivered our findings directly to EU
regulators, strengthening and expanding investigations into
Big Tech’s failures. And our pressure is already paying off:
Elon Musk was just hit with a €120 million fine under one of these
investigations.
The Year We Protected the
Wild
Saving
Dolphins in Mexico: A heartbreaking video of Mincho the
dolphin collapsing during a forced performance sparked national
outrage and together with partners, Ekō members helped turn
that outrage into real change. We pushed authorities to shut the
tank down and then we fought for a national ban on dolphin
captivity. Together, we helped win the Mincho Law, ending
dolphin torture across Mexico.
Putting an EU
Octopus Ban on the Agenda: Ekō members helped make
history in Brussels by supporting the EU Parliament’s first-ever
policy event calling for a ban on octopus farming. Scientists,
lawyers, researchers, civil society groups, and MEPs came together
to map the legal pathways to stop this industry before it begins. We
hand-delivered thousands of signatures directly to the lawmakers
leading the charge. This is a major step toward a Europe-wide
ban, and with our partners at Eurogroup for Animals, we’ll keep
going until it becomes law.
Defending
Donkey Lives in the United States: Our movement
helped reintroduce federal legislation to ban the brutal
donkey-skin trade in the U.S. Together with our coalition of
partners, Ekō members powered advocacy days on Capitol Hill where
our partners met directly with House Representatives, and ran
nationwide digital ads that lawmakers could not ignore. Thanks to
this collective pressure, the bill is back on the table and gaining
real momentum.
Challenging
Horse-Blood Cruelty in Iceland: Ekō members helped shine
a global spotlight on Iceland’s horse-blood farms. Alongside
the Animal Welfare Foundation and our Icelandic partners, we staged
a powerful “bloody” protest at the Icelandic Parliament and met with
the Minister of Industries to urge the government not to renew
Isteka’s licence. The action was covered by major media outlets
across Iceland. Together with our partners, we are mobilising
public outrage, amping up political pressure, and forcing this
cruelty into the open.
The Year We Challenged
Planet-Wrecking Power
Pressuring
Swiss Re: Together with Public Eye, Ekō members
pushed one of the world’s largest insurers to strengthen
its environmental and human-rights safeguards in Brazil.
Thousands of us signed the petition, which we delivered directly at
Swiss Re’s AGM in Zurich — even when executives tried to avoid
receiving it. Weeks later, Swiss Re confirmed updates to its ESG
risk processes for Brazil, integrating stronger protections for
Indigenous territories and conservation areas. It’s a modest but
meaningful shift — and a sign that even global financial giants feel
the pressure when people act together.
Taxing Luxury
Pollution: Working with the Global Solidarity
Taskforce, Ekō members helped push governments to back a levy on
private jets and luxury flight tickets — a policy designed to
make the world’s wealthiest polluters finally pay. Ekō
members flooded ministries with messages. And days later, France,
Spain, and others publicly backed this groundbreaking
proposal.
Blocking
Environmental Rollbacks in Brazil and Taking the Fight to
COP: When Brazil’s Congress passed a bill gutting
environmental protections, letting oil and gas companies
self-approve drilling, the Ekō community mobilised fast. We launched
a rapid-response campaign and delivered our petition straight to the
Presidential Palace in Brasília. The pressure paid off: President
Lula da Silva vetoed key sections of the bill, stopping some of its
most dangerous provisions.
We then took the fight to the global stage. On the eve of COP30,
Ekō lit up the Rio de Janeiro skyline with a massive projection
calling on world leaders to defend the Paris Agreement. Alongside
Indigenous leaders from the Aliança pela Volta Grande do Xingu, we
staged a powerful river action on Guajará Bay demanding an
end to the extractive industry in the Amazon. And inside the
negotiations themselves, we transformed COP’s massive globe into a
direct call on President Lula to reverse oil drilling in the Amazon
— backed by our poll showing 61% of Brazilians oppose drilling in
the Amazon basin. From Brasília to the Amazon to the heart of
COP itself, our movement forced this fight into the
spotlight.
This has been a year defined by resistance, courage, and impact —
month after month, campaign after campaign. A year that
shows how powerful a global community can be.
As we step into 2026, we carry this momentum with us. The systems
we’re challenging are vast, but so is the force we’ve built
together. If this year proved anything, it’s that the Ekō
movement is ready for whatever comes next — and ready to
win.
