Remembering Dr. Jane Goodall: Scientist, truth talker and ambassador of hope

Today we celebrate Dr. Jane Goodall’s incredible life and grieve her passing at 91. Many of us knew her – from watching her speak, reading her books, listening to her podcasts and engaging in organisations that she founded. Jane had unbounded enthusiasm for carrying a message of hope and possibility in tackling the foremost issue of our time – the nature and climate crisis.

Jane was one of the world's best-known primatologists. In her fieldwork in the 1960s she immersed herself in the Gombe forest, seeing chimpanzees as individuals not research subjects, leading to the transformative discovery that these animals made and used tools, reshaping long-held beliefs about their capabilities.

This work didn’t just drive science forward. It opened her eyes to the urgent need to protect their habitats – forest landscapes. She became an activist for animal welfare and a key voice for environmentalism in the decades that followed. She responded to the dearth of action for the environment with passion and precision. Jane founded organizations like the Jane Goodall Institute, the Jane Goodall Legacy Foundation and her beloved Roots and Shoots, a youth action program that encourages young people to get involved in their community whilst conserving and restoring the environment.

Jane’s work with chimpanzees underscored for her the importance of protecting forests – their natural home. When the World Economic Forum launched its conservation, restoration and stewardship agenda for trees, she was keen to get involved. Jane supported our efforts to upgrade corporate investment towards socially and ecologically responsible action, and attended multiple Annual Meetings of the World Economic Forum in Davos -- and online through COVID.

Jane's message had a few consistent threads, highlighting the need to nourish and cherish the natural world on our doorstep, while supporting the humans that live alongside it to thrive. These are hard-won lessons, from observing how and why our natural world suffers - at the hands of desperate humans. Jane spoke her mind on the cause of our planetary crisis – flagging there were too many humans and not enough wildlife. Indeed, this year’s Earth overshoot day (the date when humanity's demand for ecological resources and services in a given year exceeds what Earth can regenerate in that year) fell on 24 July in 2025. To be sure, humans are tipping the planetary balance in an unsustainable direction. Just last week, renowned Earth scientist Johan Rockström unveiled the new findings of his planetary boundary analysis – showing that 7 of our 9 boundaries have been breached with ocean acidification, the latest boundary to tip into the danger zone. Earth’s warning signals are flashing crimson red.

When Jane spoke, you could hear a pin drop in a plenary hall of hundreds. She was a scientist but recognized that facts and figures would never be as persuasive as a heart-based connection. As a result, she could deliver even the toughest messages to the most resistant audiences – all by reminding us of our common humanity and future.

Timid in her youth, she prioritized giving a voice to those who often weren’t heard in large convenings. Ever thoughtful, she asked me to put in extra time after her sessions to stay in the room and proactively spoke to those who were too frightened to approach her. Her stuffed monkey Mr. H was a companion that brought a smile to everyone’s lips -- especially when she would prop him up on her lap or lectern on the plenary stage. He travelled with her to over 65 countries, and helped her to connect with the small child inside each of us.

Her example is one we can take forward. We need science-based approaches but cannot neglect emotion and the importance of cognitive and behavioural decision making. This year we launched the Global Futures Council on the Human Science of Environmental Action. This work, inspired in part by her approach (and those of other innovative changemakers we’ve encountered at the Forum), brings together the world’s leading cognitive and behavioural scientists to crack the nut on how we can engage leaders more effectively in their journey towards credible nature and climate action at scale.

Jane has seeded inspiration in the hearts and minds of millions. From world leaders to budding youth and her chimpanzee tribe, she carried a commitment to sharing the light and joy of meeting, greeting and loving the natural world.

In Jane's words: “What you do makes the difference, and you have to decide what difference you want to make.” It’s now up to us to take her legacy forward, in making our decisions and stepping up to the challenge with a smile.