Every February, the Global Foundation convenes a ‘State of the World’ Roundtable, bringing together a carefully selected group of distinguished global citizens to discuss some of the world’s most substantial issues and help shape pathways towards ‘cooperative globalisation’ that is transformative, fair, inclusive and prosperous.

In 2025, the ‘State of the World’ Roundtable was convened in two parts on Thursday 30 January and Wednesday 19 February. The central focus of both meetings was the Foundation’s global project, ‘Shaping Global Governance, Climate and Nature,’ launched at the Rome Roundtable in June 2024.

The project seeks to help renew faltering global governance to more effectively address the global challenges of climate change and the restoration of nature. It does this by gathering together a diverse and growing group of influential contributors who may not necessarily agree with each other on all matters, but who do agree that there is greater value in working together in seeking a common pathway for the global common good.

The 2025 ‘State of the World’ Roundtables demonstrated that, in times of geopolitical tension and uncertainty, there remain people of goodwill, from business, institutions, faiths, civil society and governments, who are determined to advance their sustainability commitments and leave a positive legacy.

Participants, who came from diverse professional backgrounds across multiple continents, agreed to leverage business with purpose as a force for positive change. Both discussions reiterated the central imperative of the Foundation’s ‘Shaping Global Governance, Climate and Nature’ project, calling for collaborative, global action on climate change and the preservation of nature. They also called for such action to promote economic resilience and social equity.

Read more on Part One, Part Two and below.