Nature and Biodiversity

Nature and climate at Davos 2025: Key takeaways

Former U.S. Vice-President Al Gore, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Bangladesh's interim leader Muhammad Yunus attend the 55th annual World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos, Switzerland, January 22, 2025. REUTERS/Yves Herman; climate change

Several important climate change and nature initiatives were announced at the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting 2025 at Davos. Image: REUTERS/Yves Herman

Gim Huay Neo
Managing Director, World Economic Forum
This article is part of: World Economic Forum Annual Meeting
  • Climate change is already having very real and damaging effects on natural ecosystems, but also on communities, jobs and property around the world.
  • Businesses and communities need to build resilience and agility to address the complexities arising from climate change, as well as geopolitical tensions and technological disruptions.
  • But there is a lot to be hopeful about, says Gim Huay Neo, Head of the World Economic Forum's Centre for Nature and Climate, as she reflects on the progress made on climate initiatives at the Annual Meeting 2025.

Hope and possibility. Those were the resounding sentiments that emerged from this year’s World Economic Forum Annual Meeting during my conversations with business and political leaders, as well as senior experts and academics.

We went into the meeting facing the stark reality that the world is currently experiencing the real – and damaging – effects of climate change. Last year (2024) was the hottest on record in 100,000 years, while 70-80% of the world's coral reefs are bleached and many other natural ecosystems are on the brink of collapse. The wildfires in Los Angeles, California, which were at their most intense in the days before the meeting, offer a grim reminder of the devastation for communities, jobs and property as a result of climate change-induced extreme weather.

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Amid this environment, businesses are struggling to work out how to develop resiliency and agility to address the uncertainties and complexities arising from geopolitical tensions, technological disruptions and the effects of climate change on their workforces, assets and supply chains. At the same time, they must continue to secure business growth and profits, and address long-term strategies for people and planet.

Optimism on climate action

It escaped no one’s attention that, on the first day of the Annual Meeting, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order to pull the country out of the Paris Agreement on climate change. So, why do I feel a sense of optimism following the meeting?

First, several important climate and nature initiatives were announced at Davos this year, signalling significant progress on targeted, action-oriented partnerships. This underscores the positive and unstoppable momentum on climate and nature that's already under way.

Second, scientists, thought leaders and industry experts are giving us more clarity on the state of the planet and the actions required to effectively mitigate risks and invest in opportunities for the future. And, third, there is growing recognition and evidence that companies that harness data and technology, and embrace new businesses and models for sustainability, are in a much better position to attract talent and build long-term competitive advantage.

One of the most exciting announcements from this year's Annual Meeting was the creation of the Kivu-Kinshasa Green Corridor. This initiative aims to restore and protect 540,000km² of land stretching the entire length of the Congo basin, creating jobs and community support for the Congolese people, and catalysing an economy based on sustainable tourism and agriculture, and clean energy.

This tropical nature reserve, which is the size of France, is one of Earth’s great lungs. It is now set to become the biggest protected community reserve in the world. As a biodiversity wonder, it is home to 10,000 species of birds and many iconic and endangered animal species, and it sequesters 1.5 billion tons of CO2 annually.

The area will be provided with protected status and will build on the success of Africa’s oldest national park, Virunga, and the Virunga Alliance, which was created 12 years ago to stimulate green economic activity in the vicinity of the park. I was inspired by the words of President Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo of the Democratic Republic of Congo, when he said at the launch that the green corridor would be a “model of transparency, governance and fair competition in a region in search of green development”.

Our work to combat plastics pollution also took a major step forward during the Annual Meeting 2025. The Forum supports the world’s largest multistakeholder plastic pollution initiative globally: the Global Plastic Action Partnership (GPAP). We now have 25 partnerships with 25 governments, all of whom have set targets – most for 2025 or 2030 – to tackle their local plastic pollution problems. They will work closely with business and civil society to do this, and share best practices across the GPAP platform.

Alongside this, the Annual Meeting saw tangible progress to address issues that businesses face in their sustainability journeys. Notably, the First Movers Coalition looked at how policy and collaboration areas could be further strengthened to support the green transition, including steps that can be taken by governments to shorten the permit process for companies investing in green technologies.

Another highlight was the announcement by the Thai government that it will empower farmers, traders, brands and retailers to scale up supply of sustainable food production – particularly low-methane rice, of which Thailand is one of the world’s largest exporters.

Finding a path through the green transition

Details matter. For the pathfinders of the green transition, translating ambition into reality requires careful planning and execution. It also means remaining agile and being prepared to solve problems as issues arise, while staying focused on longer-term objectives and goals.

A recent stocktake by the Forum, in collaboration with the Potsdam Institute of Climate Impact Research (PIK) and CDP, on the health of planetary systems and the state of corporate action in addressing nature and climate shows that only 10% of companies are making tangible and meaningful progress on their climate and nature goals. Given the energy and commitment I witnessed at the Annual Meeting, I am optimistic that this percentage will grow and I look forward to hearing more success stories of new green transition pathways in the future.

We are currently seeing the effects of climate change writ large, and the overriding sentiment at Davos was that this is only the beginning. The meeting included sessions on the interconnections and interdependence between people, health, food and water security, as well as issues like inclusion, justice, the mounting threat of insurance deserts and risks to financial systems.

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One area of focus was the increasing use of technology. In particular, meeting attendees explored how artificial intelligence, sensors, satellites and machine learning can better support business and communities in cutting emissions and nature restoration and conservation efforts, while dealing with extreme weather events and building resiliency.

A highlight for me was former US Vice President Al Gore's presentation on Climate Trace, a collaboration of more than 100 organisations and experts over the last five years to provide easy-to-access, free-to-use, timely, high-quality and comprehensive data for monitoring and managing carbon emissions across all industries and geographies. This groundbreaking initiative enables governments and businesses to take a more timely and targeted approach to eliminating pollution and better protecting human health.

Collaboration to safeguard the planet

The meeting also showcased the growing interplay between cutting-edge climate science and the wisdom of the indigeneous communities and civil society organisations in safeguarding the planet. Solutions are emerging as a result that are tailored to local contexts, providing communities, policy-makers and business with the blueprints to restore harmony with nature, while providing opportunities for communities.

The Annual Meeting 2025 culminated in the inaugural Giving to Amplify Earth Action (GAEA) Awards. This ceremony honoured five ground-breaking initiatives across the categories of science, innovation, business, cross-sector partnerships and intergenerational leadership. These initiatives are advancing systems transformations for people and the planet in different ways. I would like to congratulate the winners of the GAEA Awards – these heroes and heroines give me hope in the possibility that we can build a better future with opportunities for all.

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