This year, 4 billion people go to the polls to select leaders who will grapple with an uncertain future and unpredictable geopolitical landscape.
Meanwhile, the Earth's systems tip into new states of equilibrium. 2024 will likely overtake 2023 as the hottest year on record, after the summer months broke heat records. Five natural thresholds, or climate tipping points, are set to be breached with massive cascading impacts to economies, society and human livability.
World leaders looking to maintain momentum on climate targets must do so as a host of global disruptions slow mitigation efforts. Focus will be critical, as will be the partnerships between government, business, civil society and philanthropic actors to drive innovative solutions.
Against this backdrop, world leaders will gather in New York for the 79th UN General Assembly (UNGA) and Climate Week NYC from 24-30 September.
At the same time, the World Economic Forum will convene leaders from politics, business and civil society to drive action and partnerships for advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals at the Sustainable Development Impact Meetings (SDIM) from 23-27 September.
Throughout the week, new reports will be launched and leaders' dialogues will focus on the core themes of sustainable development and financing; investing in natural capital report; protecting nature; tackling pollution and the road to COP29.
Here's what you need to know.
From mining to manufacturing, achieving a successful energy transition and net-zero emissions will require industries to accelerate their pace of decarbonization. What new innovations and technologies can make decarbonization more efficient, cost-effective and scalable?
Global decision makers will convene at three COPs on the Biodiversity, Climate and Desertification agendas this year. As the planet risks maintaining a pathway to 3C of warming, with intensifying land degradation and a million animal and plant species at risk of extinction, a coordinated approach is fundamental to maintain momentum on the net-zero, nature-positive transition. How can actors from the public and private sector move beyond current geoeconomic tensions and take the necessary actions to curb carbon emissions and halt biodiversity loss while ensuring a more inclusive economy?
Pollution is the world's largest environmental risk factor for disease, responsible for one in six deaths worldwide. As we modernize economies, extract more resources and continue our path to further growth, how can the sources and the impact of pollution be best addressed to support economic, societal and environmental health?
According to the WTO, world trade is set to grow by 3.3% in 2025 but numerous challenges remain in ensuring this growth aligns with global nature and climate goals. How should business and government collaborate to create trade frameworks that promote economic development while supporting next-generation technologies and ensuring environmental sustainability?
Reports and announcements you need to know about
Urgent action is essential to mitigate the most catastrophic impacts of climate change. Earth observation (EO) technology and innovation are championing a new era for climate intelligence, offering unprecedented insights and solutions to address these urgent challenges. This white paper, written in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Media Lab, highlights the transformative potential of EO for climate intelligence and forecasting.
• The Role of Corporate Philanthropy in Accelerating Climate and Nature Transitions - Launching 23 September
Between 2018 and 2022, less than 5% of global corporate philanthropic funding was deployed to climate and nature. In January 2024, the Forum's Giving to Amplify Earth Action (GAEA) launched a Corporate Philanthropy Challenge for People and Planet to mobilize $1 billion of smart, catalytic funding towards climate and nature interventions by 2030. This white paper explores the role corporate philanthropy can play towards positive societal impact.
• Investing in Natural Capital: Innovations Supporting Much-Needed Financing for Nature - Launching 23 September
The Forum's Centre for Nature and Climate coordinates significant multistakeholder engagement to unlock greater finance for nature, with three focus areas: (1) mainstreaming natural capital in decision-making; (2) supporting the finance sector’s transition to become nature-positive; and (3) championing innovative approaches to finance nature. This report brings together insights in each of these areas to provide a clear message: investing in natural capital is essential, attractive and feasible. It aims to showcase new ways in which technology, people and new business models are making this possible and unlocking greater finance for nature. This report is a collaboration between the Nature Positive pillar of the Forum’s Centre for Nature and Climate and UpLink, the Forum’s open innovation platform.
• Governing Marine Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction: Roles and Opportunities for the Private Sector - Launching 24 September
Areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ) are one of the great remaining commons of the planet and critical to sustaining life on Earth and will be protected by the landmark Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction. Representing two-thirds of the world’s ocean, they are home to millions of unidentified species and absorb heat and store excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, essential to regulating climate. They are also crossed by 90% of global trade; host critical infrastructure and contribute to global food security, accounting for up to 12% of global fisheries. In collaboration with the UN Global Compact, this white paper offers recommendations to support the private sector’s engagement in the implementation of the Agreement.
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