Annual Report 2024 2025

1 For 55 years, the World Economic Forum has helped convene and encourage conversation around important global challenges and opportunities. But today, incremental progress is no longer enough. The world is changing rapidly, and the need for transformation is urgent. The Forum is aiming higher: focusing on impact rather than words and demanding sharper attention to what truly matters, with a renewed commitment to rebuilding trust. We find ourselves at an inflection point. Globalization is not ending; it is evolving – globalization 2.0. This new phase will look different from the past: more attuned to the needs of individual countries and to workers who did not benefit from globalization as much the first time around. There is no false choice between national strength and global cooperation; both are essential. We can broaden the benefits of global growth to more people and shape growth towards sustainable prosperity – but only if we adapt to a new model that reflects today’s realities and does not create more inequalities. Capital markets can be a powerful engine for this progress – channelling savings into investments that drive innovation – a vital ingredient for addressing the world’s most critical challenges. Sustaining prosperity will require pragmatism. Energy powers our economies, and a durable transition must be both pragmatic and ambitious. It requires keeping today’s systems reliable and affordable, while advancing long-term decarbonization through continued innovation in renewables, storage and grid flexibility. Balancing these priorities is essential to secure, affordable and sustainable energy – the foundation for growth and opportunity in the decades ahead. None of this is achievable without trust. Trust is today’s most valuable – and most fragile – resource. Like capital, it compounds when invested wisely. The Forum must earn that trust every day through integrity, outcomes and clarity of purpose – focusing on what truly counts: greater prosperity for more people around the world.Co-Chairs’ Statement Laurence D. Fink Ad Interim Co-Chair of the Board of TrusteesAndré Hoffmann Ad Interim Co-Chair of the Board of Trustees Annual Report 2024-20254 Co-Chairs’ Statement