At the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2025 held in Davos, Switzerland, leading experts and political figures gathered to discuss pressing global challenges, emphasizing the importance of integrating economic growth with ecological sustainability. One of the conference's key themes revolved around the urgent actions needed to address biodiversity loss, particularly through the development of finance mechanisms supporting nature-positive initiatives.
Experts believe 2025 could be pivotal for the global financial community as they gear up to advance nature-positive finance. The discussions at this year's event, prominently featuring the theme of sustainability, reflect the significant threats to the global economy posed by biodiversity loss. Notably, steps taken previously, including investments by companies like Iberdrola and CaixaBank, have set the stage for transformative changes across financial institutions.
“Nature-related risks and opportunities are increasingly material to the financial sector, making this the moment to accelerate action and safeguard our planet’s biodiversity,” stated Aurora Matteini, Specialist in Sustainable Finance at the WEF. The consensus formed around the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), adopted by 196 countries, details ambitious plans to reverse biodiversity loss by 2030, including safeguarding 30% of Earth's land and oceans.
High ambitions call for urgent action from financial institutions, with more than 194 already endorsing the Finance for Biodiversity Pledge. With the financial industry previously focused on climate change, it is now broadening its scope. “Post-Paris Agreement, significant investments have been made in climate-related expertise, governance, and risk management,” explained Laura Fisher, Lead for Sector Transitions to Nature Positive at the WEF. This strategic pivot is believed to lay the groundwork for aligning financial operations with biodiversity goals.
Simultaneously, the WEF highlighted Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s ambitious undertaking during his five-day trip to Davos. Announcing the signing of 61 memorandums of understandings (MoUs) worth Rs. 15.7 lakh crore, this marked India's commitment to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) across various sectors. Fadnavis was joined by Industry Minister Uday Samant, who expressed optimism about creating around 16 lakh jobs through these initiatives.
“We will make these MoUs turn real,” affirmed Fadnavis, who emphasized how significant local investment from Maharashtra accounts for 67% of the total proposals. Yet, political opposition raised questions about the need for such high-profile announcements abroad versus signing deals domestically. Opposition leaders called the trip more about image than actual investment opportunities.
This year’s WEF also addressed the contentious role of liquefied natural gas (LNG) within the global energy transition. During discussions moderated by CNN's Richard Quest, experts examined the economic viability of LNG, positing it as increasingly uncompetitive against renewable energy technologies. Sam Reynolds, LNG/Gas Research Lead at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, argued, “Based on dollars and cents, LNG is uncompetitive with renewable energy technologies. It’s unreliable compared to domestically sourced low-cost renewables.”
Critics from various sectors pointed to LNG’s impact on climate, with Dr. Robert Howarth from Cornell University stating, “LNG has the largest climate impact of any fossil fuel on Earth.” Highlighting the pervasive under-reporting of methane emissions, experts called for greater accountability and transparency around fossil fuel usage.
Other discussions at Davos included the increasing global focus on longevity science, demonstrated by the Longevity Investors Lunch. This gathering, organized by entrepreneurs and scientists, brought the need for integrating longevity with economic strategies to the forefront. With the aging population expected to double by 2050, investment opportunities abound across healthcare and financial systems.
Dr. Tobias Reichmuth and Marc P Bernegger, who facilitated the event, stressed the need for bridging academia, industry, and investment to bolster advancements in longevity. “We are proud to bring the topic of longevity to Davos,” Bernegger remarked, emphasizing how this is part of integrating demographic challenges with policy and economic planning.
The discussions at the WEF represent the interconnectedness of environmental sustainability and economic growth, underscoring how multiple sectors can align toward shared goals. By encouraging investments aimed at fortifying the resilience of ecosystems, financial institutions and business operators may well redefine their roles in nurturing the natural world.
With 2025 marking five years until the GBF’s targets, the call to action is clear: stakeholders across finance, government, and industry must collaborate intensively to transform ambitious commitments to sustainability and biodiversity protections from theory to practice. Without decisive action, the consequences of biodiversity loss risk economic degradation far greater than any one sector can bear.