Central to this mission is the belief in the potential of young people, particularly millennials and Gen Z. As tech-savvy global citizens, their optimism and conviction drive progress on issues like climate change and social equity. With the right tools and platforms, they have the power to influence policymakers and businesses toward a more sustainable future.

As the 2030 deadline for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) approaches, Samsung and UNDP remain committed to the Global Goals. Both organisations have made significant strides in creating real-world impact by prioritising innovation. In celebration of United Nations Day, Samsung has released a report that marks our five-year relationship, highlighting progress in raising awareness of the Global Goals through initiatives like the Samsung Global Goals app and Generation17.

“We believe in the power of collective effort to create a better future for upcoming generations and using technology for the greater good,” said Stephanie Choi, EVP & Head of Marketing, Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung Electronics. “Our partnership with UNDP over the past five years has been a meaningful step in this journey, as we’ve worked together to support young changemakers and raise awareness of the Global Goals. We’re grateful for the opportunity to contribute to a better future for all, and we look forward to continuing our journey to 2030 with the Galaxy community.”

“The only way we are going to confront the world’s biggest challenges is through cooperation. Our partnership with Samsung shows the power of true collaboration between the public and private sectors,” added Achim Steiner, Administrator of UNDP. “We are proud of the progress that we’ve seen in both the Samsung Global Goals app and the Generation17 initiative to empower youth to advance the SDGs. We look forward to continuing and exploring new frontiers in our partnership to drive sustainable development in the years ahead.”

Samsung Global Goals App

▲ The Samsung Global Goals app allows Galaxy users to work toward the Global Goals in an easy, collaborative way.

Samsung and UNDP partnered in 2019 to launch the Samsung Global Goals app^[1] — a platform that educates Galaxy users about the 17 Global Goals and allows them to generate donations through in-app ads, using wallpapers to increase their earnings and direct contributions. Samsung then matches all proceeds from the in-app ads, maximising our collaborative efforts to support UNDP’s work in advancing the Global Goals and contributing to their achievement.

To further engage Galaxy users, we introduced new interactive features such as the Donation Leader Board in 2023. In 2024, we launched limited-edition wallpapers as “Thank-you Gifts” as a token of appreciation to active users. The wallpapers, available on Samsung Galaxy smartphones and watches, highlight different endangered species supported by UNDP Global Goals initiatives.

▲ The Samsung Global Goals app has engaged millions of Galaxy users and raised substantial funds to support UNDP’s work in advancing the Global Goals and contributing to their achievements.

Since its launch, the Samsung Global Goals app has reached nearly 300 million Galaxy users^[2] and raised more than $20 million^[3] for UNDP. Users have identified Goal 1 (No Poverty), Goal 2 (Zero Hunger) and Goal 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) as their top priorities, offering valuable insights into the global issues that matter most to them.

▲ Galaxy users have identified Goal 1 (No Poverty), Goal 2 (Zero Hunger) and Goal 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) as their top priorities.

Looking ahead, we are dedicated to expanding the app’s impact to inspire collective action and create lasting change.

Generation17

In 2020, Samsung and UNDP launched Generation17 to support young changemakers advancing the Global Goals with the belief in the power of youth to create meaningful change. The initiative provides technology, mentorship and networking opportunities to Young Leaders worldwide — supporting 16 such individuals across six regions to date and sharing their stories through Samsung and UNDP’s global platforms.

Through the initiative, the Generation17 Young Leaders have been able to attend major global events such as the Mobile World Congress, the UN Economic and Social Council Youth Forum and the UN Summit of the Future Action Days. These engagements give them a platform to collaborate with global decision-makers across different sectors.

In just four years, UNDP and Samsung, through Generation17, have supported Young Leaders who believe this initiative has significantly contributed to achieving remarkable results and making a resounding impact on their communities. While Generation17 has provided valuable resources and opened doors for the Young Leaders, their success is ultimately a testament to their drive, creativity, entrepreneurial skills, networks and passion for advancing the Global Goals. Through these combined efforts, the Young Leaders feel that this initiative has scaled the impact of their work, allowing them to reach more people within their communities, raise awareness of their work and advance all 17 Global Goals through the power of technology.

Samsung Newsroom highlights how Generation17 leaders Efe Johnson, Thùy Anh Ngô and Tafara Makaza are leveraging technology to address challenges such as reproductive health education, care for the elderly, economic mobility and more — demonstrating how innovative solutions can inspire change and action.

Efe Johnson

A reproductive and sexual health advocate from Kaduna, Nigeria, Efe Johnson founded Xari Africa to break taboos surrounding sexual and reproductive health across Africa after experiencing shame and confusion during her first menstrual period. Xari Africa educates girls on topics like menstruation, birth control and sexual health.

Xari Africa has impacted 4,500 girls across Africa through school workshops, online courses and Efe’s practical health guide Just Period It. She now aims to expand her platform to reach 1 million girls.

▲ Efe prioritises Goal 1 (No Poverty), Goal 4 (Quality Education) and Goal 5 (Gender Equality) in her work to empower and educate girls across Africa.

Thùy Anh Ngô

Thùy Anh Ngô founded HASU, a mobile platform in Vietnam that improves the physical, mental and social well-being of older adults. Inspired by her late grandfather’s fear of burdening his family, she developed HASU to meet the needs of Vietnam’s aging population. The app offers health advice, exercise routines and social forums to keep seniors connected and active.

Thùy Anh has concentrated on stabilising internal operations and optimising services for seniors over the past year, contributing to HASU reaching over 50,000 individuals. Her newest programme, a memoir-writing service, has been helping clients from various backgrounds — including key opinion leaders, politicians and retired professionals — preserve and cherish their treasured memories.

▲ Thùy Anh prioritises Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-Being), Goal 4 (Quality Education) and Goal 10 (Reduced Inequalities) in her work to support older adults in Vietnam. 

Tafara Makaza

A social entrepreneur and technologist from Zimbabwe, Tafara Makaza co-founded Fixa — a digital platform that connects informal workers with safe, reliable employment opportunities in Africa. Dubbed the “LinkedIn for the linked out,” Fixa helps workers create digital profiles and gives them access to formal jobs and financial services.

Tafara has connected over 8,000 workers to more than 300,000 job opportunities, disbursing more than $2 million in salaries since starting the platform in 2021. He is empowering individuals across Africa to achieve economic independence.

▲ Tafara prioritizes Goal 1 (No Poverty) and Goal 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) in his work to improve employment in Africa.

Looking Towards 2030

With 2030 on the horizon, Samsung’s commitment to driving global progress has only strengthened. The company continues to harness its technological expertise to fuel collective action for meaningful change by supporting UNDP and young changemakers worldwide. Through initiatives like the Samsung Global Goals app and Generation17, Samsung remains focused on building a more sustainable future for all.

Click here to download the full report.

[1] Samsung Global Goals app seen on the image is simulated for illustrative purposes. Availability and supported device models may vary by market and are subject to change

[2]Total number of users as of September 2024.

[3]Total contribution as of September 2024

Finding the Balance between Innovation and the Environment

Samsung is reimagining how Galaxy technology is designed and packaged to do more with less when it comes to our planet’s natural resources. For the last decade, we have worked to innovate high-performance components that are made with recycled materials.

We took an important step in 2022 when we incorporated recycled discarded fishing nets, also known as ghost nets, in the Galaxy S22 series. Recycled materials can now be found in all Galaxy mobile products, including smartphones, tablets, PCs and wearables^[1]. At the same time, we have expanded our use to a greater variety of materials, from several different types of plastics to metals and glass.

Visualising how the Galaxy S24 series is designed and packaged to do more with less for people and the planet

Galaxy S24 continues to scale the variety of recycled materials in Galaxy devices by applying recycled plastics, glass and aluminium to internal and external components^[2]. It also takes these efforts one step further. For the first time, Galaxy S24 features components made with recycled cobalt and rare earth elements^[3]. In Galaxy S24 Ultra, a minimum of 50% recycled cobalt was used in the battery^[4], and 100% recycled rare earth elements were incorporated into the speakers^[5].

Samsung has a long history of addressing the pervasive challenge of plastic waste through our recycled material innovations, and recycled plastics continue to play an important role in the Galaxy S24 series. The Galaxy S24 series maintains our use of recycled plastics sourced from discarded fishing nets, water barrels and PET bottles.

The recycled ocean-bound plastic^[6] material was created in partnership with global organisations who collected discarded fishing nets abandoned near the oceans. Together, we separated, cleaned and extruded the nets’ properties before optimising them into high-performance, recycled polyamide pellets. Similarly, the recycled polycarbonate and PET materials are sourced from discarded water barrels and PET bottles that we grind, filter and melt down with other additives. This process helps us transform these fragile resources into high-performance optimised materials that uphold Samsung’s state-of-the-art design and high-quality standards. We also teamed up with other organisations to upcycle discarded Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) that was generated from shoe manufacturing.

This is a culmination of our continued efforts with our partners to transform fragile plastic wastes into high performance material used in Galaxy devices. Through the Galaxy S24 series, we aim to use nearly 100 metric tons of recycled plastics^[7] by the end of 2024, which is equivalent to 10 million empty plastic bottles^[8].

When it comes to recycled metal, the Galaxy S24 series incorporates recycled aluminum^[9] that originates from scrap metal generated during manufacturing. The aluminum scrap is re-melted, filtered for impurities and then recycled to make components within Samsung’s product development process. The Galaxy S24 series has the potential to utilise around 110 metric tons of recycled aluminum by the end of 2024, which is the equivalent of 9 million soda cans^[10].

Additionally, the Galaxy S24 series comes in a packaging box made using 100% recycled paper material. By the end of 2024, we hope to use 2,760 metric tons of recycled paper, which is equivalent of 552 million pieces of A4 paper^[11]. If stacked on top of one another, that would be approximately the same height as 71 Burj Khalifas^[12], which is the tallest building in the world.

From the smallest components to the newest, most premium features, the Galaxy S24 series represents a significant stride in Samsung’s ongoing commitment to utilising recycled materials in its smartphones. This work could help us shift to more circular designs and build technology that supports a more sustainable future.

^{[1] Recycled materials can be found in all Galaxy devices released in and after 2022}

^{[2] Galaxy S24 Ultra features recycled materials in the Top Speaker Module, Bottom Speaker Module, Case Front, S Pen Inner Cover, S Pen’s Knob Holder, Side Key, Volume Key, SIM Tray, Camera Deco, Front Screen, Back Glass and Battery.}

^{[3] Neodymium}

^{[4] The batteries of the Galaxy S24 Ultra and Galaxy S24+ include a minimum of 50% pre- and post-consumer recycled cobalt. The battery of the Galaxy S24 includes a minimum of 10% pre- and post-consumer recycled cobalt.}

^{[5] The speakers of the Galaxy S24 series include 100% pre- and post-consumer recycled neodymium.}

^{[6] Ocean-bound plastic is abandoned plastic waste of all sizes (micro-plastics, mezzo-plastics and macro-plastics) that are located within 50km of shores in communities or areas.}

^{[7] Calculated tons of recycled plastics based off sales estimation of the Galaxy S24 series through 2024.}

^{[8] Assuming the weight of 500ml PET bottles is 10g, which is the average weight of PET bottles from manufacturers across the market.}

^{[9] A minimum of 28% pre-consumer recycled aluminium is used in both internal and external aluminium components of Galaxy S24 series. For more information about the recycled materials in the Galaxy S24 series, please review Samsung’s product environmental reports on the Sustainability website.}

^{[10] Average weight of 330ml soda can is calculated from Metal Packaging Europe article.}

^{[11] Average weight of A4 paper is calculated based on ISO 536:2019.}

^{[12] At 828 meters high, the Burj Khalifa holds the record as the tallest building in the world.}

“We are thrilled to welcome these three innovative leaders to the Galaxy community and Generation17,” said TM Roh, President and Head of Mobile eXperience (MX) Business at Samsung Electronics. “These Young Leaders will inspire the Galaxy community to make positive changes in their daily lives, with their dedication to harness technology and open possibilities for a more equitable future. Each embodies the ingenuity and innovative spirit that we need to engage more people in helping to achieve the Global Goals.”

The New Young Leaders

For the first time, Samsung and UNDP conducted an open call that rallied thousands of passionate young people from all over the world to apply to join Generation17. This new group of Generation17 Young Leaders, chosen from a competitive pool of candidates, will add new perspectives to the initiative, and their projects will bring forth new solutions in education, skills and training, and health equity.

Zubair Junjunia (United Kingdom): Social entrepreneur and founder of ZNotes, a global learning platform enabling fair and equal access to education that has impacted four million students globally.

“I was inspired to build an education platform after witnessing the uneven playing field of education. We must empower youth to create an equitable education system, which is why I am excited to join Generation17 and bring awareness to global education challenges and inspire young people to stand up for causes they believe in.”

Priscilla Efe Johnson (Nigeria): Gender equality activist working to de-stigmatize women’s health through Xari Africa, a female-led organization providing girls with access to reproductive and sexual health resources.

“Reproductive and sexual health is everybody’s business. This fight, this passion, is personal. That is why I am thrilled to be selected as a member of Generation17, working in partnership with Samsung and UNDP to elevate my voice and expand access and education to women’s healthcare across the globe.”

Mock Yi Jun (Singapore): Education leader and co-founder of Advisory Singapore, a youth-led charity dedicated to empowering young people from all walks of life to make informed career and education choices.

“Every person, no matter their background or socio-economic status, deserves a chance to pursue their aspirations. Generation17 is the perfect platform to enable more young people like me to empower individuals to take their education and career journey into their own hands.”

Amplifying Youth Leadership on a Global Stage

Samsung and UNDP launched Generation17 in October 2020, with the mission to magnify the voices and impactful work of young people accelerating progress toward the Global Goals. Since the launch, Samsung and UNDP have gathered 17 Young Leaders across Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and North America working on issues that encompass all 17 of the Global Goals.

Together, Samsung and UNDP provide the Young Leaders with mentorship and the latest Samsung Galaxy technology as well as access to agenda-setting events and other opportunities to elevate their platforms and connect with their peers and cross-sector, global decision makers. Generation17 Young Leaders have participated in various events, including Samsung’s Unpacked, Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum, Stockholm+50 and the United Nations General Assembly.

“To achieve the Global Goals, we need authentic action from young people — those on the frontlines of today’s most pressing issues — to build back progress and support for each goal,” said Achim Steiner, UNDP Administrator. “Through our partnership with Samsung, we aim to foster the growth of these Young Leaders as they address critical issues such as the climate crisis and human rights concerns to build a more resilient society.”

Generation17 is grounded in Samsung and UNDP’s commitment to leverage technology as a force for good. The two organizations first partnered in 2019 to create the Samsung Global Goals app, an education and donation-based mobile app that informs people about the Global Goals and encourages them to take action just by using their Galaxy devices. Since then, the app has been installed on nearly 300 million Galaxy devices worldwide, including smartphones, tablets and smartwatches. It has enabled the Galaxy community to generate more than USD 10 million for UNDP’s work to promote environmental and social resilience around the world.

About UNDP
UNDP is the leading United Nations organization fighting to end the injustice of poverty, inequality, and climate change. Working with our broad network of experts and partners in 170 countries, we help nations to build integrated, lasting solutions for people and planet. www.undp.org.

[1] The 17 Global Goals, known as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), were adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015 and provide a blueprint to end poverty, protect the environment, reduce economic inequality and ensure peace and justice for all.