
The World Economic Forum’s network of Global Future Councils is the world’s foremost multistakeholder and interdisciplinary knowledge network dedicated to promoting innovative thinking to shape a more resilient, inclusive and sustainable future.
The network convenes around 600 of the most relevant and knowledgeable thought leaders from academia, government, international organizations, business, and civil society, grouped in expertise-based thematic councils. It is an invitation-only community and members are nominated for a two-year term.
Mission
The Network helps to identify and disseminate transformative ideas with the potential for global impact. The Global Future Council members provide strategic insights, scientific evidence, forward guidance, and multidisciplinary understanding of major issues through:
• Fresh ideas and innovative thinking: Nurturing cutting-edge and disruptive ideas and developing the foresight to identify and shape key areas
• Grounding in expertise and evidence: Providing a foundation for data-, evidence-, fact- and research-based public-private cooperation
• Interdisciplinary and systems approach: Connecting the dots between established and frontier issues and integrating thought leaders from business, academia, civil society, government and international organizations
Councils play two types of roles – Frontier exploration to address cutting-edge themes that have transformative potential, infuse new ideas, connect frontier thinkers and serve as test beds for future workstreams; and, systems thinking to contribute in a meaningful way to complex global discussions and issues where a multistakeholder group of constituents can drive positive systemic change.
Members' engagement
The Global Future Councils are invitation-only communities and members are invited for a two-year term. Council members participate regularly in virtual interactions and council activities via the Forum’s TopLink platform, email and regular meetings. Each council’s insights are also taken forward by the Forum’s ongoing initiatives, communities and meetings to ensure impact and influence.
Future Focus 2025: Pathways for Progress from the Network of Global Future Councils 2020-2022 offers a positive and inspiring agenda around which a sustainable and inclusive recovery can ...
Artificial intelligence (AI) has great potential to benefit society, but the technology’s full potential can only be realized if it is representative of the diversity of populations it im...
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted whole economies. Immersive media businesses, which focus on technologies that create or imitate the physical world through digital simulation, have been no...
Companies face increasing scrutiny of their social and environmental performance from consumers, communities, workers, governments and investors. Business leaders are being urged to consi...
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has been met with unprecedented trade and other economic sanctions. Some members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) have revoked Russia’s most-favoured-...
This White Paper authored by the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Nature-Based Solutions takes a practical look at the investment landscape for nature and Nature-based Solu...
This White Paper outlines successful case studies from those who have already started to unlock business model innovation through the adoption of advanced manufacturing. It highlights fiv...
World Economic Forum: This year's Report, shares the results of the latest Global Risks Perception Survey (GRPS) in the context of the current global outlook, followed by an analysis of g...
Robust governance is a critical underlying factor in any strategic determination and execution of environmental and social commitments. Read more in this latest paper on integrity.
This White Paper, from the Global Future Council on Urban Mobility Transitions, evaluates road pricing mechanisms and calls for an acceleration towards equitable, clean and financially re...
To achieve the goal of a safe climate, we will need to both dramatically reduce emissions to achieve absolute zero greenhouse gases and simultaneously start reducing the stock of pollutan...
This report looks at synthetic biology’s embodiment and advancement of equity, humility, sustainability and solidarity over time: four values that are important in realizing its future be...
This Insight Report invites policy-makers, regulators and investors to place greater focus on the demand side of the electricity system. It presents the technology, business models and sy...
Global Future Council has been exploring means for financial system stakeholders to accelerate technology-enabled solutions. In this publication, they highlight 3 Accelerators - Digital I...
Climate change is one of the greatest global challenges. The accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, particularly from anthropogenic emissions, is changing Earth’s climate at ...
This white paper, produced in collaboration with an advisory committee consisting of experts from around the world, is intended to guide policy efforts towards combating data-driven harms.
The report can be used by diverse organizations to guide them in educating teams about their role in advancing AI fairness.
This paper puts forward a set of six pathways to rapidly address longer-term dynamics of recovery while simultaneously building preparedness for future shocks.
This toolkit aims to provide stakeholders exploring the use of disruptive technologies in mental health with the tools to develop, adopt and engage standards and policies that address any...
This report, co-authored with Boston Consulting Group, is the second in our series for the Net-Zero Challenge. It showcases the opportunity that all companies have for huge climate impact...
The 16th edition of the World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report analyses the risks from societal fractures—manifested through persistent and emerging risks to human health, rising unem...
This report provides a global framework and recommends an integrated energy approach, defined as “systemic efficiency”, as a solution to the current environmental, economic, health and so...
These are the most exciting technologies that emerged in 2020 and – according to our experts – have the greatest potential to positively transform society and industry. What opportunities...
After years of growing income inequality, concerns about technology-driven displacement of jobs, and rising societal discord globally, the combined health and economic shocks of 2020 have...
Twenty markets of tomorrow are considered promising in that they could support inclusive and sustainable revival of growth. A framework is provided to assess the maturity of these markets...
The report builds on the latest economic policy research as well as extensive consultations with the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on the New Economic Agenda and a growing ...
Digital trade in Asia had been booming even before the COVID-19 pandemic that drove large numbers of firms and consumers online. The region has also been at the forefront of digital trade...
In this publication members of the Global Future Council on Financial and Monetary Systems highlight how the financial system has rapidly adapted to the COVID-19 crisis, provided support ...
Cybersecurity is one of the most systemically important issues facing the world today. Cyber information sharing is critical to helping better collective security in the digital ecosystem...
The power of infrastructure to shape economies and societies is enormous. Infrastructure underpins commercial life, provides vital social services and supports human interaction around th...
This paper offers an opening frame for a multiyear, cross-industry programme to co-create the new playbooks for executive decision-making and action in a post-pandemic business normal. It...
The Future of Nature and Business, prepared in collaboration with AlphaBeta is the second of three reports in the World Economic Forum’s New Nature Economy series. It provides the practic...
A series of reports showing the relevance of nature loss to boardroom discussions on risks and opportunities. These insights provide pathways for business to be part of the transition to ...
Quantum Computing may seem mysterious and not easy to understand. This FAQ document answers common questions at a high-level on what makes quantum computing so special and how we expect i...
The World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on New Network Technologies, during its 2018-2020 term, focused on the benefits to society and the role of partnerships between government...
The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Toolkit explores the practical opportunities and risks that rapidly emerging technologies represent for diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. The to...
Sinking, swimming or surfing: Perspectives on operating and business models
As governments and businesses grapple with the effects of COVID-19, other global challenges remain. Once the immediate crisis abates, countries must intensify environmental action to tack...
Developed by the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Mobility, the Guidelines for Transforming City Mobility Systems reflect shared goals for liveable and just transport netwo...
The 50th anniversary of the World Economic Forum coincides with a period of profound global change. These events prompted the Forum to draw on its network of diverse experts to develop a ...
The World Economic Forum has created a new index to measure social mobility, providing a much-needed assessment of the current state of social mobility worldwide.
Nature Risk Rising, the first report in the NNE series, explains how nature-related risks matter to business, why they must be urgently mainstreamed into risk management strategies and wh...
In this report, developed in collaboration with PwC, we showcase the significant opportunity to harness new technologies for the Global Goals. Through analysis of over 300 technology appl...
“Schools of the Future: Defining New Models of Education for the Fourth Industrial Revolution” outlines a new framework for defining quality education in the new economic and social conte...
Los inversores y ejecutivos necesitan un marco para abordar de forma constructiva las expectativas y los vectores ESG, al tiempo que construyen de forma coherente su propio valor empresar...
In the next five years 23% of jobs are expected to change. We asked 12 experts why good job creation is needed around the world and how leaders can respond.
Alongside policymakers, industry is proactively looking to use the power of science and human ingenuity to chart a clearer path towards decarbonization.
When one job is not enough. Many of the younger generation are giving up on hopes of owning a home and raising a family.
Infectious diseases have shaped human history. Here are some of the medical innovations that have helped fight the most destructive ones since the 1920s.