SDIM25 – World Economic Forum Summit Sustainable Development Impact Meetings

Trump’s speech at the United Nations certainly ruffled a few feathers, but despite that, more than 1,000 leaders from business, government, international organisations, academia and civil society convened in New York for the World Economic Forum Summit Sustainable Development Impact Meetings 2025 (SDIM25), held alongside the UN General Assembly and Global Goals Week.

The five-day summit focused on inclusive economic growth, climate resilience, humanitarian crises, and frontier technology at a time when only 17% of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals are on track to be achieved by 2030.

“There is no prosperity without humanity,” said André Hoffmann, Vice-Chairman of Roche Holding and Interim Co-Chair of the Forum.

 

“We need to develop systems that foster both business and societal well-being, alongside ecological health.”

Humanitarian Strains and Geopolitical Risks

Speakers warned of widening humanitarian emergencies.

Amy Pope, Director-General of the International Organisation for Migration, said:

“Humanitarian funding across the world is frankly running out… the need is at a scale we’ve never seen before.”

Geopolitical volatility was a recurring theme.

Victoria Nuland of Columbia University cautioned that the world could “walk back to the brink of great power conflict” without stronger cooperation.

Saleh Ahmed Jama, Somalia’s Deputy Prime Minister, underscored faith in multilateralism, while Sheba Crocker, WEF Managing Director, urged leaders to move beyond “short-term fixes.”

Economy in Transition

The World Economic Forum summit released its Chief Economists’ Outlook, warning that 72% of surveyed economists expect global growth to weaken in 2026. Long-term disruptions in trade, technology, resources and institutions signal what Managing Director Saadia Zahidi called “the contours of a new economic environment.”

Other key findings:

• Global debt is projected to hit 100% of GDP by 2030.
• Growth prospects are diverging sharply between advanced economies and emerging markets.
• New WEF research stressed urgent investment in digital skills, labour pathways in Kenya’s digital economy, and reskilling talent worldwide.
• Climate, Energy and Health

Sessions highlighted the economic toll of environmental pressures.

A WEF white paper estimated that climate-related health impacts could cost $1.5 trillion in productivity losses by 2050.

Another report showed how carbon capture and utilisation could turn CO₂ into sustainable fuels and building materials.

The Alliance of CEO Climate Leaders pressed governments to “remove roadblocks” to building a climate-smart economy.

Jesper Brodin, CEO of IKEA’s parent company INGKA Group, argued that “climate smart means resource and cost smart.”

Global initiatives announced included:

• Uplink’s Nature Returns Challenge and Inclusive Plastic Action Programme, awarding innovators fighting ecosystem degradation and plastic waste.
• The Dominican Republic’s National Plastic Action Roadmap, targeting 53% circularity and 87% pollution reduction by 2040.
• New commitments from the Water Futures Community ahead of the 2026 UN Water Conference.

Technology and Innovation

As AI and automation advance, the Forum spotlighted responsible adoption. Twelve new facilities joined the Global Lighthouse Network, now numbering over 200, recognised for using digital technologies to boost productivity and sustainability.

The launch of the Human-Machine Collaboration initiative outlined frameworks for worker empowerment in AI-enabled industries.

Joel Kaplan of Meta said open-sourcing models like Llama creates opportunities for smaller developers, while Sebastian Niles of Salesforce warned that restrictive regulation could limit citizens’ access to emerging technologies.

A Call for Resilience

The meetings carried a sober message: the promise of growth and sustainability is under pressure from conflict, climate change, and systemic economic shifts.

“Ten years on from the adoption of the SDGs, the vision of improving lives everywhere in harmony with our planet is under unprecedented strain,” said Sebastian Buckup, WEF Managing Director.

Yet, leaders at the World Economic Forum summit expressed optimism that collective action could drive breakthroughs. As Ebru Özdemir, Chair of Limak Holding, put it:

“The last 100 metres of the race are the decisive ones — and all of us must be ready to run.”