How Can We Avert a Climate Recession?

Explore strategies for maintaining climate progress amid global polarization and economic constraints in this 47-minute panel discussion from the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2026. Examine how climate consensus and multilateral cooperation have evolved since the 2015 high point, analyzing the current landscape where national and regional agendas have increasingly diverged. Discover how diverse actors across public and private sectors continue advancing climate innovation through new alliances and initiatives despite challenging circumstances. Learn what meaningful climate ambition looks like when navigating polarization, economic limitations, and geopolitical tensions in today's complex global environment. Gain insights from distinguished panelists including Ester Baiget, Carsten Schneider, Zhang Lei, Jai Shroff, Al Gore, and Elizabeth Thurbon as they discuss practical approaches to preventing climate recession while fostering sustainable progress. Understand how transparency, consistency, and accountability serve as fundamental principles for building trust in climate initiatives, and explore innovative solutions emerging from the intersection of political, business, and civil society leadership in addressing one of the most pressing challenges of our time.