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Accelerating an Equitable Transition: A Data-Driven Approach
With the rising social, economic, and humanitarian consequences of extreme weather events such as floods and heatwaves, countries need to double down on the pace of the green transition. However, justice and equity considerations of climate action are surfacing, and the current policy and business toolkit is inadequate to forge an equitable transition, eroding public acceptance and policy stability.
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The energy transition is progressing but has lost momentum in the face of increasing global uncertainty, according to the World Economic Forum's Fostering Effective Energy Transition 2024 report. The Energy Transition Index (ETI), which benchmarks 120 countries on their current energy system performance and on the readiness of their enabling environment, finds that while there has been notable progress in energy efficiency and a marked increase in the adoption of clean energy sources, energy transition momentum has been held back by setbacks in energy equity, driven by rising energy prices in recent years. Energy security also continues to be tested by geopolitical risks.
The Global Gender Gap Index annually benchmarks the current state and evolution of gender parity across four key dimensions (Economic Participation and Opportunity, Educational Attainment, Health and Survival, and Political Empowerment). It is the longest-standing index tracking the progress of numerous countries’ efforts towards closing these gaps over time since its inception in 2006.
The Global Risks Report, developed in collaboration with Marsh McLennan and Zurich Insurance Group, explores some of the most severe risks we may face over the next decade, against a backdrop of rapid technological change, economic uncertainty, a warming planet and conflict. As cooperation comes under pressure, weakened economies and societies may only require the smallest shock to edge past the tipping point of resilience.
The May 2024 Chief Economists Outlook explores key trends in the global economy, including the latest outlook for growth, inflation, monetary and fiscal policy, and the implications of recent geopolitical and domestic political developments. This series of reports draws on the individual and collective perspectives of a group of leading chief economists through consultations with the World Economic Forum’s Chief Economists Community and a regular Chief Economists Survey.
The Travel & Tourism Development Index (TTDI) 2024 is the second edition of an index that evolved from the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI) series, a flagship index of the World Economic Forum that has been in production since 2007. The TTDI is part of the Forum’s broader work with industry and government stakeholders to build a more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient future for economies and local communities.
This report, published in collaboration with Oliver Wyman, highlights the pivotal role of cities in leading the global fight against climate change and biodiversity loss. Coordinated city action for nature is not only vital to achieving the goals set by the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), but also strategically necessary given the climate-, health- and infrastructure-related urban challenges arising from existing unbalanced relationships with nature and the biosphere.
The automotive industry is undergoing its most challenging transformation in over a century. The role of software in this transformation is so prominent that the new generation of vehicles are being referred to as “software-defined vehicles”. This paper provides a path to better streamline existing industry work on the vehicle software platform.
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These reports provide pathways for business to be part of the transition to a nature-positive economy.
The Annual Report outlines the concrete progress the World Economic Forum made over the year in a variety of initiatives and demonstrates how the organization continues to be a bridge-builder in the increasingly complex world.
The Chief Economists Outlook summarizes the emerging contours of the current economic environment. The quarterly report incorporates the latest policy research and the results of a Forum survey with leading chief economists from both the public and private sectors.
The annual Fostering Effective Energy Transition Report uses the Energy Transition Index (ETI) to benchmark 120 countries on their current energy system performance, focusing on balancing equity, security and sustainability, and on their transition readiness.
The annual Top 10 Emerging Technologies report highlights the technologies set to positively impact society within the next three to five years. The report provides a qualitative assessment of each technology's potential impact on people and the planet.
The annual Global Gender Gap Index benchmarks the state and evolution of gender parity across four key dimensions: economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, health and survival, and political empowerment.
The annual Future of Jobs Report explores how jobs and skills will evolve. The report is based on unique survey data that details the expectations of a cross-section of the world’s largest employers related to how socio-economic and technology trends will shape the workplace of the future.
The annual Global Risks Report explores some of the most severe risks we may face in the coming years. Underpinned by the Forum’s Global Risks Perception Survey, the report brings together leading insights from over 1,200 experts across the world.
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Decades of research have established the impact of black carbon (BC) on local, regional and global climate and public health. Yet, global progress in reducing BC emissions has been slow. This paper finds out why, and assesses potential solutions by focusing on five key countries, namely Brazil, China, India, Nigeria and the United States.
This paper aims to guide city leaders on taking actions to improve air quality in cities, focusing on key sources of pollution such as transportation, energy, industry and materials.
A survey of the World Economic Forum's community of chief risk officers highlights a range of global risks with the potential to threaten economic growth, destabilize geopolitical relations further and disrupt broader business operations over the coming months.
Financial inclusion is critical for building resilience among individuals and businesses. It integrates marginalized populations into the financial system, enabling them to secure financial stability, manage risks and withstand economic shocks. This white paper examines global efforts to promote financial inclusion among individuals and businesses, emphasizing the role of government policies, public–private partnerships and technological innovations.
In a time of rapid innovation and global uncertainty, generative artificial intelligence (AI) emerges as a transformative force, reshaping industries, economies, and societies worldwide. This pivotal moment demands visionary leadership and a collaborative approach to anticipatory governance.
Policy is a critical mechanism for ensuring that technology is designed in a way that promotes responsibility and trustworthiness. In this white paper, the Global Future Council on the Future of Technology Policy advocates for policy design that creates the foundations for technology to contribute to a flourishing world.
AI value alignment is essential to ensure that AI systems accord with core human values and operate in ways that reflect diverse societal values and ethical principles. This white paper, produced by members of the Global Future Council on the Future of AI, explores the critical issue of AI value alignment, focusing on the integration of ethical principles into the development and deployment of AI technologies.
Social innovators play a crucial role in addressing the intricate relationship between inclusive health, sustainable agriculture and climate change. Their efforts are essential in fostering partnerships and collaboration to develop ecologically sustainable, economically efficient and socially just environments. This insight report, exploring the social innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystems in Latin America and Asia–Pacific, highlights opportunities for private-sector investment. It also describes how governments can support these efforts through policies and regulations that protect displaced and vulnerable populations.
Trade and domestic policy interventions can help address challenges women and their businesses face, while gender-disaggregated data assists in identifying issues and evaluating the impact of government programmes. As more governments adopt gender-inclusive initiatives, this white paper explores the role of the WTO’s Trade Policy Review Mechanism (TPRM) and how it can be improved.
There is a need for clear regulatory guidelines in the fast-evolving digital assets industry. This report, which builds on prior research by the World Economic Forum, provides a close analysis of the regulatory frameworks in nine jurisdictions and their unique approaches to policy creation and implementation.
Electric vehicles (EV) will play a pivotal role in the transport sector’s transition to zero emissions. While global sales are surging, in many cities the development of publicly-available charging infrastructure is not progressing quickly enough to meet this growing demand. This paper offers a strategic policy roadmap that city governments can use to scale investment in EV charging infrastructure.
The bioeconomy offers solutions to the most pressing challenges facing humanity, and effective policies have propelled groundbreaking technologies from the laboratory to widespread societal use. As tools evolve to more reliably harness biology for commercial applications, policy will continue to play a central role in ensuring that innovation delivers a human-centred and resilient bio-based economy.