Update from the Global Foundation, November 2025
Our Global Alliance for the ‘Polycene’ era, a different kind of interconnected world
Tom Friedman, columnist with the New York Times, is one of the most significant commentators alive today. I recommend Tom’s recent feature piece in which he defines the era in which we are now living, calling it the ‘Polycene’.
To paraphrase, Friedman argues that the escalating polarity and binary choices we are seeing in much of the West’s politics today – variously called a polycrisis or permacrisis – are in fact increasingly at odds with what is required in order to make work a world which is in reality even more interconnected now than before. He argues convincingly that the best answers to the great challenges of our time lie in synthesis, not at the edges. He goes on to say that traditional political grievance models, with fracturing into identity tribes, are not sustainable.
Solving complex problems through clever coalitions
Friedman says:
‘The most adaptive, resilient and productive communities in the Polycene will be those that can assemble dynamic coalitions across issues — what I call complex adaptive coalitions. These bring together business, labor, government, social entrepreneurs, philanthropists, innovators, regulators and educators to solve problems through synthesis rather than by postponing them with binary mutual vetoes. That is the only way to move fast and make things.
It will be the first era in which humanity must govern, innovate, collaborate and coexist at a planetary scale in order to thrive. Only by doing so can we capture the best and cushion the worst of everything from A.I. to nuclear power to climate change. It will take everyone, everywhere, rowing together.’
Our modus operandi is similar
For many years now, the Global Foundation has been assembling such ‘complex adaptive coalitions’ that Friedman describes. That’s why we continue to receive messages of encouragement and support from world leaders.
What we do matters, even if it takes a little effort to fully comprehend our ‘elastic band’ method, of convening disparate leaders, who find they have enough in common to work and move together, for a global common good.
The centrepiece of our work over the past two years, our Global Project, has now expanded in impact and reach, to become a more dynamic Global Alliance, through the formation of such a coalition, blending the best of enlightened business with that of civil society, and partnering with faiths, governments and institutions, to help generate sensible, sustainable outcomes, on global governance, climate change and the care of nature.
Our global meeting in the Amazon was timely and helpful
Our global Carajás Roundtable meeting, held in the heart of the Amazon region in Brazil in August, was a watershed moment, a positive step-up for our Global Alliance, that also served to help Brazil in its lead-up to hosting the COP30 UN climate summit.
What we loved about the Brazilian approach was its warmth and openness to engaging with the world and its intentions to generate practical outcomes, rather than just high-level talk. That’s what is possible through a shared approach, even while many disagreements continue at impossibly complex global summits.
One such spectacular practical initiative announced at Brazil’s COP is the Tropical Forests Forever Facility, for which the Foundation has been a long-term willing advocate, at the invitation of the Brazilian Government. The TFFF, as it is known, will harness the investment power of global markets with public sector pledges, for an intended target of US$125 billion, that will help to save the Amazon and tropical forests worldwide.
As goes the Amazon, near a tipping point of no return, so goes the whole world. The private sector has a powerful role to play. What we witnessed at our August roundtable meeting in the Amazon was the leadership of Brazilian miner and Key Partner, Vale, in preserving and re-instating vast tropical forest areas surrounding the world’s biggest iron ore mine, living proof that economic development can sit side by side with the care for nature.
Building upon Carajás and the ongoing program to navigate the Australian national energy transition, our recent online State of Play roundtable, held on 3/4 November, enabled many diverse and distinguished contributors from our global network to connect and share views with each other.
They shared pathways for the global energy transition, for the care for nature and for parallel paths in Australia. Each of these sessions builds cumulative knowledge, trust, and confidence for a positive, joined-up future.
Shaping global governance – a shared COP in 2026
Brazil has done a remarkable job in hosting the huge annual climate change summit, COP30, just concluded in Belem, capital of the main state in the Amazon.
What these successive annual United Nations summits have demonstrated, however, is that they have become unwieldy and unable to satisfy so many disparate voices and expectations.
The news just in that Türkiye will share hosting duties for COP31 next year with Australia and the Pacific Islands is most welcome, assuming that the rights and responsibilities of both parties are adequately resolved.
The Foundation has been active, mainly behind the scenes, for several months now, in discussions at the most senior levels with both governments and with international business and other institutions, advocating a shared approach.
In particular, it is encouraging to see that the Pacific Islands will be given prominence in the arrangement. It is also very good news to see Australia stepping up as a creative, middle power, willing to play a lead role in the extensive global negotiations that will be required from here on, if such an important platform of global governance is to generate shared outcomes and meaningful progress on action for the planet.
The Foundation is continuing discussions with various authorities and interested parties about bringing to bear our global network in full support. This will likely entail at least one global roundtable meeting for the purpose and potentially other roundtable discussions in the Pacific Islands and South-East Asia.
Hosting the Australian Reserve Bank Governor, AGM, Board changes
On 17 December, in Sydney, the Chair and CEO of Partner firm, GHD, will kindly host for the Foundation the Governor of Australia’s central bank, Michele Bullock, adjacent to our Annual General Meeting, where it is anticipated that our Board will be strengthened by the addition of two distinguished global Australians, who have led our Global Alliance for the past 18 months.
Mark Cutifani CBE, global mining legend and Sharan Burrow AC, global advocate for a just transition, have become pivotal to the global uplift in the work of the Foundation over recent years. Together with our Chair, Louise Watson, and myself, they will form the nucleus of a revitalised team going forward.
Heartfelt thanks go to current members of the Board who intend to stand down, Paul Wellings CBE, Brian Loughnane AO and Christine Christian AO. A joint meeting of the existing and new Board members will be held on 1 December.
To give more precise expression to the sentiment of the new Polycene era and how it should work for the mining industry, as for business more widely, read Mark’s keynote speech to a major mining industry event held in Melbourne on 5 November.
Mark says there is no place for the mining industry to hide, as it has so much to offer, if better understood. He advocates business leadership, with purpose and in partnership with society. For him, there is no other choice if mining is to retain its social licence to operate and to be better regarded than at present.
The year ahead
Through 2026, we plan to further mobilise our Global Alliance.
In early February, the beginning of the working year for nations of the Southern Hemisphere, we will convene our annual online State of the World Roundtable, enabling participation from every time zone in the world.
On dates presently being negotiated with the Vatican, we intend to convene our signature Rome Roundtable 2026, to which Partners and Allies will be invited, for what will be a magnificent ‘show and tell’, about respective progress being made by each and all and to help reset ambitions for the year to follow.
Our Key Partner, Vale, is keen to once again host a global roundtable meeting, to build upon the success of, and momentum generated by, the Carajás Roundtable.
Our Australian national energy transition group will continue to support a sensible path for the challenging but necessary transformation that Australia, as with all nations, is undergoing.
Welcome to new corporate member
The Foundation warmly welcomes the recent commitment by global law firm, Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer, to join the Foundation as a corporate member.
As always, the Global Foundation welcomes introductions to potential members – private sector support is our lifeblood, and we deeply appreciate the generosity of those who help to finance our modest operations.
To learn more about how you or your organisation can participate in the Global Alliance, please contact Ms Natalia Cikorska, Chief of Staff via email at natalia.cikorska@globalfoundation.org.au