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Rihanna calls on global financial leaders to commit to climate finance

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London, UK
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Tweeting the US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and World Bank chief Ajay Banga, the Bajan superstar has requested the world’s financial leaders to β€˜make bold commitments to finance and debt reforms.’

Rihanna has never been one to hold back.

This time, she’s publicly calling out the world’s biggest leaders in finance and asking them to join her in making bold commitments to finance and debt reforms.

On Monday, Rihanna direct mentioned both the US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and the World Bank Chief Ajay Banga on Twitter, requesting they step up to the plate by pledging funds for communities on the frontlines of climate change.

She tweeted a link to an action platform run by the social change organisation Global Citizen, with information on a campaign aimed at addressing the interlocking crises of the climate crisis, hunger, and inequality through global finance reform.

No stranger to helping her community, Rihanna has regularly funded climate resilience and climate justice organisations through her charity, the Clara Lionel Foundation.

Alongside other ventures related to healthcare and education, it has provided millions of dollars in aid to the US and Caribbean nations following natural disasters.

There’s no doubting that Rihanna has long been a social justice warrior, but her contributions to climate funding have ramped up significantly in recent years.

Just months before she welcomed her first child into the world in 2022, she announced her pledge of $15 million USD to climate aid through the Clara Lionel Foundation.

The large sum was split between 18 climate justice organisations located across the Caribbean and the US, including the Climate Justice Alliance, the Indigenous Environmental Network and the Movement for Black Lives.

This followed the launch of the organisation’s Climate Resilience Initiative in 2019, which was set up to help countries more vulnerable to climate disasters boost their emergency preparedness.

Making the announcement, Rihanna said, β€˜At theΒ Clara Lionel Foundation, much of the work is rooted in the understanding that climate disasters, which are growing in frequency and intensity, do not impact all communities equally, with communities of colour and island nations facing the brunt of climate change.’

Her annual Diamond Ball, held annually in December, has been auctioning off luxury items, vacations, and experiences to swathes of notable celebrities and elites since 2014.

The money raised is funnelled back into Rihanna’s foundation to help continue its mission.

That said, Rihanna definitely has the right to call out world leaders in finance for not making the right decisions. We’ll have to wait and see if they respond accordingly, but when Rihanna @’s you – do you ignore it?

I think not.

Senior Writer & Media Coordinator London, UK

I’m Jessica (She/Her). Originally from Bermuda, I moved to London to get a Master’s degree in Media & Communications and now write for Thred to spread the word about positive social change, specifically ocean health and marine conservation. You can also find me dipping my toes into other subjects like pop culture, health, wellness, style, and beauty. Β Follow me on Twitter, LinkedIn and drop me some ideas/feedback via email.

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