January 2025
Will WEF 2025 create the necessary momentum to build a more resilient and fair future?
# Alex’s take: Market participants have the tools to act now – how data empowers them to be part of the solution and protect their business.
Alexandra Mihailescu Cichon, Chief Commercial Officer and spokesperson
“This year's gathering of the WEF recognizes that, regardless of the terminology used, ESG, in some form, is here to stay. There has been a significant shift of understanding of sustainability topics, such as biodiversity, and the link to a company’s resilience and reputation. In this age of transparency, trust is crucial – and the role of data is more important than ever as a catalyst for driving greater transparency to help build a more sustainable and resilient world.
As highlighted in the WEF’s 2025 Global Risks Report, environmental risks have become the predominant long-term concern for global leaders. Among these, ‘Biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse’ stands out as the second most severe long-term global risk to economic growth. This underscores the critical importance of biodiversity within the broader ‘Safeguarding the Planet’ theme at this year’s WEF.
Biodiversity risk is financial risk. By leveraging impact-based data to identify and mitigate biodiversity risks today, companies can strengthen both ecological and economic resilience for the future. For evaluating biodiversity risks, geospatial data is highly valuable: Nearly 15,000 extractive projects are located within 1km of an environmentally sensitive site – a significant overlap between biodiversity and business operations, showed RepRisk’s last report on biodiversity. It confirms a concerning correlation between proximity of extractive projects to environmentally sensitive sites, and the number of environmental risk incidents reported: Operating within 1 km of environmentally sensitive sites increases the number of environmental risk incidents by 77% for public companies and 27% for private companies. In other words, the closer the business operation, the higher the risk exposure.
Climate change and biodiversity loss are two sides of the same coin. Systemic solutions are needed, but businesses and investors can take meaningful action now by using data to identify and mitigate biodiversity risks, thereby safeguarding both nature and their bottom line.”
# I. Overview
- The Annual Meeting 2025 of the World Economic Forum (WEF) takes place January 20 – 24, 2025, in Davos, Switzerland.
- The event brings together leaders from government, business, civil society, and academia to reflect on the state of the world and discuss key global and regional challenges.
- Under the theme “Collaboration for the Intelligent Age,” the forum will explore how to leverage technological advancements for growth and collaboration. The themes of the 2025 WEF are an extension of those in 2024.
WEF 2025, themed “Collaboration for the Intelligent Age,” takes place in Davos from January 20 to 24. Image: weforum.com.
# II. Key themes
- Reimagining growth: Exploring new avenues for global development that will enhance living standards and foster worldwide sustainable progress.
- Industries in the intelligent age: Addressing the transformative impact of technological advancements reshaping industries across the globe.
- Investing in people: Equipping the workforce with the skills and knowledge required to navigate and thrive in tomorrow’s economy.
- Safeguarding the planet: Driving progress in climate technologies and fostering global collaboration to meet sustainability goals, while ensuring equitable access to clean energy.
- Rebuilding trust: Finding new ways to collaborate and bridge societal divides as the pace of change accelerates.1
The Global Risks Report 2025 by the World Economic Forum highlights a fractured global landscape with escalating geopolitical, environmental, societal, and technological challenges.2 Based on insights from over 900 experts, the report analyzes risks across three timeframes to help decision-makers balance current crises with longer-term priorities.
Key findings include the rise of state-based armed conflict as the most immediate threat due to increasing geopolitical tensions. Environmental risks, such as severe weather events, climate change impacts, and biodiversity loss continue to dominate the 2-year and 10-year risk scenarios. Despite slow global economic growth in 2024, economic risks have not made the top 10 in the 2-year risk ranking, with inflation expected to decrease.
The report emphasizes the need for enhanced global cooperation to address these multifaceted risks and highlights the importance of business conduct and ESG risk management in building resilience.
# III. Recap: Key achievements of WEF 2024
The 2024 Annual Meeting revolved around the theme of "Rebuilding Trust," emphasizing transparency, accountability, and cooperation amid global fragmentation and complex crises.3
- Reinforcement of global cooperation: Leaders emphasized the necessity of collaboration to tackle issues such as geopolitical tensions, economic uncertainty, energy security, and technological advancements.
- Economic growth: The forum explored new models for economic growth, aiming to balance productivity with inclusivity and sustainability.
- Climate and nature protection: Participants underscored the urgent need for climate action, including reducing environmental degradation, protecting biodiversity, and achieving net-zero emissions. Leaders emphasized sustainable resource management, renewable energy investment, and stricter environmental regulations.
- Technology governance: Discussions centered on AI's transformative potential and the need for ethical governance and strategies to mitigate associated risks.
- People, equity and human development: Highlighting the critical role of human capital in building global resilience, participants discussed strategies to generate quality employment, enhance skill development, and bolster healthcare systems, with a particular emphasis on addressing disparities in underserved regions.
# IV. Reactions
- Business case for sustainability: Some observers noted a significant shift in the understanding of the business case for sustainability. Numerous executives were outspoken about the return on investment from sustainability initiatives, leading to increased investments in areas like ESG risk management, circular economy practices, and climate technology.
- Global cooperation and support: Some public voices commended the forum's emphasis on fostering international collaboration to address pressing global challenges. Specific initiatives focusing on climate change, technology governance, and economic inclusivity received notable support.
- Skepticism and perceived elitism: As in other years, some observers remained skeptical about the forum's impact, viewing it as a platform for rhetoric without substantial action. Critics argued that the forum remained an exclusive gathering, disconnected from the realities faced by the broader population.
Get in touch
ESG risks are linked to financial, compliance risks, and reputational risks. Contact your RepRisk account manager or write us at contact@reprisk.com to explore how our data can help your business meet the growing demands related to biodiversity and ESG.
Visit the World Economic Forum website for further information on WEF 2025
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