WEF Weekly Stories (2025.4.29)

• What’s top of mind for Chief Economists? Here are the three trends transforming our economies, according to experts. 
• The impact of trade tensions on financial markets: “Trade uncertainty acts like a brake on global growth, holding back the engine of investment and innovation”. Hear from experts on the implications of this uncertainty. 
• The new era could have a particularly sharp impact on Africa, but it also represents a significant opportunity for Africa to start creating its own economic blueprint. Here are four ways for the continent to shift gears.

Greater international cooperation is needed: Trade tensions are putting the world economy at risk, writes Richard Samans. Yet, Europe could broker a ‘positive off-ramp’ that fires on all of the cylinders of international cooperation. Here’s how major initiatives in fiscal, monetary, development, and trade policy can yield benefits for the international community.

• San Francisco is one such city striving to help residents live safe, healthy and productive lives. From managing natural habitats to aiding public-private collaboration for nature restoration in urban areas, this new Forum report highlights the impact of a nature-positive approach to urban living.
• What has the city learned on its sustainability journey? The Forum’s Head of Centre for Urban Transformation, Jeff Merritt, breaks down three key lessons here.  

Zoom in:

• Unlocking finance for nature-positive change: The majority of financial institutions still find that data availability and quality are barriers to allocating capital to nature. A new Forum report provides 11 indicators that institutions can integrate into their portfolio assessments to mainstream nature in financial decision-making.
• Public-private collaboration is key: Chile’s approach offers a blueprint for other countries seeking to work effectively with companies to transition to nature-positive economies.

• Nurturing the best environment for workplace wellbeing: A happy workforce will perform better for shareholders, says this expert in an episode of Radio Davos.
• What makes a true leader? Platon, the photographer of many cultural and world leaders, shares his insights in this episode of Meet The Leader.
• A new AI frontier is emerging: In which the physical and digital worlds draw closer together through spatial computing.
• What USAID cuts mean for youth development: The world cannot afford to waste the energy, innovation and leadership of the 2.4 billion youth worldwide. Here are five strategies for revitalizing youth development. 
• The world needs a new food revolution: Here’s how we can empower and incentivize farmers to shape the future of sustainable agriculture.