Future-proofing your business: An executive blueprint

26 Jan 2026
3 min read

Key take aways

> $5 trillion

annual value of sustainability-driven growth in 2024
30%

of low-emission technologies markets revenue is accounted by transportation and mobility
50%

of global emissions can be tackled by existing cost-competitive solutions

The World Economic Forum defines the “green economy” as commercially viable solutions with a defined environmental objective or addressing critical ecological challenges, spanning mitigation, adaptation and resilience in the context of climate transition, ranging from advanced energy technologies to emerging agri-tech innovations and emerging investment products. Illustrative examples include renewable energy, electric mobility, low-carbon food systems, climate-resilient construction materials, textile recycling, green finance, carbon-measurement tools and services, among others.

The “green economy”, as defined by the World Economic Forum, is one of the biggest growth opportunities on the planet.

It’s already worth over $5 trillion per year, and the world’s most dynamic growth sector after technology, according to the Forum’s report “Already a Multi-Trillion-Dollar Market: CEO Guide to Growth in the Green Economy”, backed up by real life case studies from leading companies, including Schneider Electric.
Solutions for mitigation, adaptation, and resilience are already unlocking significant opportunities for job creation and shared prosperity.

Climate change accelerates across both developed and emerging markets, while energy independence increasingly drives low-carbon investment strategies.
Low-emission technologies markets are progressing at varying speeds across regions.

While several deep-decarbonization technologies still need significant support to scale, mature solutions (such as solar, wind, batteries, and EVs) are already cost-competitive and capable of addressing over 50% of global emissions. China overwhelmingly leads this transformation, championing spending, renewables, and innovation with $659 billion in clean energy investment in 2024, far outpacing Europe ($410 billion) and the U.S. ($300 billion).
Company revenues from these activities grow two times faster than conventional revenues, on average.

The report demonstrates that these early players get access to cheaper capital, build competitiveness for the future and are often valued at a premium on capital markets. Leaders of winning companies’ “secret sauce” contains: a clear purpose and strategy, a compelling value proposition, and an agile operating model built for rapid scale. However, the report highlights the need to push for technology maturity and bring down costs of nascent technologies.
The World Economic Forum calls on policymakers to leverage public procurement, de-risk private investment, and develop incentives and markets standards.

This will help to accelerate the growth of climate-related investments, for companies to be able to build the business case for products with lower impacts, and shape and create demand.

Lessons from winning companies

Personally champion your ambition with a clear, purposeful vision, embedding sustainable growth into core strategy, rather than as a compliance exercise.
Align purpose with value creation to build a resilient, future-ready operating model.
Invest in R&D and early-stage pilots to validate concepts before scaling rapidly to industrial deployment.
Recognize that short-term profitability is not the sole metric, and engage investors and employees in the long-term value journey.
Foster partnerships across the value chain, including financial institutions, governments, and peers, to break down silos and accelerate ecosystem evolution.

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