The word climate change or global warming was not mentioned once during a week of high-level talks at the World Economic Forum in Davos. That is according to We Don’t Have Time, a Swedish organisation focused on sustainability and climate change. It therefore organised its own presentation but was not allowed to do so within the event. So the presentation was given from a pile of snow in front of the door.
At the World Economic Forum in Davos, a group of leading scientists and global leaders presented a starkly different vision of prosperity from the one dominating much of today’s political and economic debate. Sandrine Dixson-Declève, joined by Johan Rockström, Carlos Nobre and Paul Polman, argued that true prosperity can no longer be defined by fossil fuel-driven growth, deregulation and rising inequality. Instead, it must be grounded in human well-being, ecological stability and justice.
The speakers framed the moment as a historical turning point. In the span of a single lifetime, humanity has become powerful enough to destabilize the Earth system itself. Climate change, biodiversity loss, freshwater depletion and ocean degradation are no longer abstract risks but interconnected crises already costing the global economy trillions of dollars each year. These losses, they stressed, represent wasted opportunities: resources that could otherwise reduce poverty and build more resilient societies.
Two futures
The group contrasted two possible futures. The first, described as “too little, too late,” reflects today’s business-as-usual trajectory. It clings to an extractive, fossil-based economic model that concentrates wealth at the top while leaving billions behind and pushing the planet toward irreversible tipping points. The alternative is a “Giant Leap”: a rapid transformation that redefines prosperity within planetary boundaries.
Central to this alternative is the insight that investing relatively modest sums can deliver enormous returns. According to the speakers, allocating just 1 to 2 percent of global GDP to climate action and nature restoration could generate economic and social benefits worth many times that investment. Far from undermining prosperity, protecting ecosystems and stabilizing the climate are prerequisites for long-term economic security.
Johan Rockström underscored the scientific urgency. Human activity is driving the planet toward dangerous thresholds, with risks of triggering irreversible tipping points such as melting ice sheets, collapsing coral reefs and large-scale dieback of the Amazon rainforest. Breaching 1.5 degrees Celsius of global warming, likely within the next few years, would dramatically increase these risks. Avoiding this outcome requires a rapid overhaul of energy, food, transport and industrial systems, starting with a full phase-out of fossil fuels and a transition to a zero-carbon economy within the next quarter century.
Paul Polman addressed a persistent myth in business thinking: that nature protection comes at the expense of economic growth. In reality, he argued, nature underpins the economy. Clean water, stable climates, healthy soils and resilient ecosystems are essential for supply chains, manufacturing, agriculture, finance and insurance. When ecological systems break down, the consequences appear as higher prices, disrupted markets, lost livelihoods and social instability. For business, retreating from responsibility is not a safe option; strengthening the foundations of prosperity is.
No justice
Carlos Nobre emphasized that the planetary crisis is also a justice crisis. Those least responsible for environmental degradation are already suffering the worst impacts, from crop failures and extreme heat to displacement and poverty. A new model of prosperity must therefore go beyond redistributing wealth. It must also redistribute power, ensuring that marginalized communities have a real voice in decisions about food, land, water and resources.
Finally, the speakers called for a transformation in international cooperation. Earth’s life-support systems do not respect national borders, markets or outdated notions of sovereignty. Global governance must evolve to safeguard an interconnected planet and secure a safe and just operating space for all people.
The message from Davos was clear: expanding fossil fuels is a dead end. A stable planet is not only essential for survival, but also the foundation for lasting peace, security and shared prosperity. The choice between collapse and renewal, the speakers concluded, is still open — but the window for action is rapidly closing.
