Driving Growth amid Climate Disruption: World Economic Forum and Chapter Zero Alliance Launch New Framework for Future-Ready Boards

Davos, 22 January 2026 – A new report published today at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos reveals how boards globally face a sobering reality: climate and nature are no longer background issues. Effective governance is central to organisational resilience, investment confidence and strategic positioning as markets evolve.

The publication from the World Economic Forum and Chapter Zero Alliance details how climate and nature risks, far from peripheral, are now central to business performance.

The Guiding Principles for Climate and Nature Governance offer board directors practical guidance on how to future-proof their organisations and pursue “some of the greatest opportunities for growth and renewal".  The Principles can help strategically shift disruption into opportunity, while strengthening resilience and long-term value. 

“These Principles are the business playbook few talk about, but that every board needs,” says Emily Farnworth, CEO of Chapter Zero Alliance. “For leaders, these Principles offer a competitive edge and strengthen credibility as boards gain clearer visibility of risks, reduce costs through resource efficiency, and position their business as trusted, stable partners in an uncertain world.”

“In short, integrating these Principles help board members move from managing today’s challenges to shaping the future – a hallmark of effective, modern leadership.”

Companies that act decisively can strengthen resilience, capture growth, and earn lasting trust from investors, employees, and communities, while those that ignore these forces risk falling behind.

As expectations on boards intensify – from regulators, investors and markets – companies will reap the benefits of structured action on climate and nature. The Principles encourage board members to “consider climate and nature impacts as integral to their resilience-building agendas and to view them as part of a wider set of interconnected challenges where the future will not resemble the past”.  Those that fail to adapt risk falling behind. 

“When elevated as a boardroom reference point, the Principles empower directors to move beyond risk management toward value creation—aligning oversight with strategy, and transforming nature-related risks into sources of resilience, innovation, and competitive advantage, says Pim Valdre, Head of Economic & Policy Agenda, Centre for Nature and Climate at the World Economic Forum.

“They help organisations not only safeguard the natural assets and operating conditions they depend on; but also unlock new opportunities to lead in a rapidly changing world—strengthening their capacity to navigate volatility, adapt to climate and resource pressures, and meet evolving market expectations while building long-term, sustainable growth.”

Download Principles in full: Board Leadership for Growth and Resilience: Guiding Principles for Climate and Nature Governance 

Download Principles summary: Board Leadership for Growth and Resilience Guiding Principles for Climate and Nature Governance

Download Supplementary Guidance: Board Reflection and Management Oversight Questions

Development of the Principles 

The Principles were formulated through a collaborative process led by the World Economic Forum and supported by Chapter Zero Alliance. In total, over 90 stakeholders were engaged during the process. More than 80% of these contributors are executive or non-executive board directors, while the remainder includes C-suite leaders and specialists in climate, nature and governance.  

What are the principles 

The framework is simple: four principles supported by three foundations that strengthen effective governance. Together they provide a clear route any board needs to create adaptable, innovative businesses with sustainable advantages. These Principles support boards in fulfilling their responsibilities by governing with the future in mind. They highlight how directors can move from ambition to action by: 

• setting strategic direction amid uncertainty

• anchoring ambition in purpose and values

• holding management accountable for actions that build resilience and creating enduring value, including embedding climate and nature into strategy and decisions.

The Principles 

1. Oversight and Responsibility

2. Strategy

3. Risk and Opportunity

4. Disclosure and Transparency

These principles rest on three essential foundations: Skills and Knowledge, Stakeholder Collaboration and Culture.  This combination is designed to sharpen oversight, stimulate rigorous debate and strengthen alignment between ambition and delivery. 

How to apply the principles in your business 

Helpfully, the "Board Leadership for Growth and Resilience" report includes actionable insights for boards to enable the principles to be integrated into any company anywhere in the world. A set of guiding questions for the board to reflect on accompany each principle, along with guiding questions for board members to ask of management. This enables the board to consider how it is addressing the principle and how it can engage management.