World Climate Agenda Summit Davos

Keeping Climate and Nature on Top in 2025

Davos, Wednesday 22nd January 2025

The Climate Hub was hosted on the Promenade 58C, across from the main Arkaden-Square, Davos

The World Climate Agenda Summit set the agenda and accelerated momentum for climate and nature solutions in 2025, focusing on the pivotal COP30 in Brazil while addressing pressing issues like geopolitics and emerging AI. By prioritising high-impact areas such as renewable energy adoption, geopolitics, sustainable finance, and cutting-edge technologies that can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, WCF aimed to: 

Foster "Coalitions of the Ambitious" by strategically connecting and convening stakeholders across various sectors. This objective is focused on accelerating transitions towards a net-zero economy. By bringing together policymakers, industry leaders and innovators, WCF aims to catalyse impactful collaborations that drive climate action forward.  
To effectively tackle climate change, WCF seeks to break down traditional silos and foster "ambition loops" between public and private stakeholders. By facilitating collaboration among governments, businesses, and strategic partners across diverse sectors WCF aims to create a synergistic environment where ambitious climate actions are reinforced and scaled. 
Recognising the interconnectedness of climate change, biodiversity loss, and public health, WCF is dedicated to developing integrated solutions that address these intertwined challenges. This involves promoting nature-based solutions that enhance ecosystem resilience, advocating for policies that protect biodiversity, and addressing health impacts related to climate change.

The Climate Hub Davos was hosted by the Swiss non-profit GreenUp.

https://green-up.ch/climatehubdavos/

January 22 16.00 - 16.45

Panel 1:

Maintaining the Focus: Advancing Climate and Biodiversity Solutions in a Shifting Global Landscape

In 2025, marked by shifting geopolitics and the advancement of AI, maintaining the focus and upscaling the climate and biodiversity is more urgent than ever. With COP30 approaching, the urgency to scale up climate action and nature preservation requires bold leadership from businesses, civil society, and local communities, especially when political will falters. This action-oriented panel shifted the focus from setting expectations to delivering impactful solutions, addressing:

How can we transition from discussions and expectations to actionable, scalable solutions ahead of COP30?
Which institutions will be crucial to step up to assure impact when political will falls short?
What roles can businesses and non-governmental actors play in speeding up progress?
As climate change reshapes global power dynamics, what are the emerging risks and opportunities?

Moderator

Matsi Modise

Africa Lead, World Climate Foundation

Speaker

Cara Williams

Senior Partner, Global Head of ESG, Climate and Sustainability, Mercer

Speaker

Dr Harvey Locke

Vice Chair, Nature Positive, IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas and Y2Y

Speaker

Maria Netto

Executive Director, iCS

Sessions

January 22 16:45-17:30

Panel 2:

Delivering Impact: From Problems and Expectations to Solutions for Climate and Nature

This panel focused on accelerating impact action for climate and biodiversity by delivering tangible solutions and measurable outcomes in key focus areas. The experts delved into the deployment of cutting-edge technologies, innovative financial mechanisms and partnerships, transformative renewable energy projects, and strategies to scale nature-positive supply chain practices. The session addressed barriers to implementation and showcased the role of solution coalitions by the World Climate Foundation in fostering partnerships that accelerate deployment and drive measurable progress toward a net-zero and nature-positive future.

The key focus areas:

AI and Emerging Technologies: How can advancements in AI and tech enhance data-driven decision-making, and fast-track climate and nature-positive investments?

Green Finance Mechanisms: What financial innovations, such as blended finance or green bonds, can unlock funding for scalable, long-term solutions addressing climate and biodiversity challenges?

Green Energy Solutions: How can renewable energy projects integrate with nature-based solutions to deliver measurable outcomes for both climate and nature?

Supply Chains 2.0: What practical steps can be taken to transform supply chains into catalysts for biodiversity conservation and a low-carbon economy?