In a significant move to combat climate change and safeguard the planet, India has joined the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Transitioning Industrial Clusters initiative. The initiative includes 13 leading industrial clusters from around the world, including countries like Australia, Brazil, the Netherlands, the UK, and Saudi Arabia, according to a WEF statement issued on Sunday.
A new white paper underscores the pivotal role that industrial clusters play in the large-scale deployment of clean-energy infrastructure. It features key players implementing innovative collaboration and business models while leveraging digital technologies.
The report, “Accelerating the Energy Transition: Unpacking the Business and Economic Cases,” highlights the challenge of translating the well-known benefits of climate action into private investment. “The Global South is paying the price for other areas of the world causing climate change,” stated Cindy H. McCain, Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Programme. “The people that can least afford it, that have the least ability to fight it, are the ones being affected the most.”
With the increasing evidence of climate change-related extreme weather events and risks, world leaders at WEF 2025, which concluded this week, emphasized the need for faster, wider, and deeper action. The meeting built on the momentum from the three UN COPs on Climate, Land, and Biodiversity in 2024 to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy, improve energy efficiencies, manage energy demand, and protect and restore nature.
The WEF also released its first “State of Nature and Climate” report, presenting the latest data on planetary health and global corporate progress in addressing climate and nature challenges.
The Forum published six reports aimed at accelerating the global shift towards a nature-positive future. Five focused on sector-specific strategies for critical industries such as offshore wind, mining and metals, ports, and automotive, while the sixth examined financing solutions for building nature-positive cities.
The Forum’s inaugural “Giving to Amplify Earth Action (GAEA) Awards” honored five groundbreaking initiatives advancing solutions to the world’s most pressing climate and nature challenges. These awarded collaborations will receive tailored support throughout 2025 to scale impact and drive system-wide change.
Leading companies across retail, e-commerce, mobility, and logistics also announced new commitments and a shared ambition for more sustainable and efficient urban deliveries. They are working with the government to embrace new solutions and models that benefit consumers, couriers, companies, and cities.
