Climate at Davos 2026: What Happened Behind the Scenes?
The 2026 summit saw climate discussions reshaped by changing priorities, as leaders spent more time on conflict and markets while environmental concerns held a slower track.
Climate did not vanish at Davos 2026, but it arrived with a quieter headline than past years. With the Annual Meeting scheduled for 19–23 January 2026, the Forum’s public messaging leaned hard into “risk”, “security”, and “competition”, while climate sat inside the wider “planetary boundaries” track. Panels still referenced COP outcomes, but the spotlight often moved to cost-of-living and elections.
Why Climate Talk Looked Different This Time
The tone shift tracks the Global Risks Report 2026, which put geoeconomic confrontation at the top of near-term worries, while environmental risks still dominated the 10-year horizon. Extreme weather slipped in the short-term rankings, yet stayed central longer-term. Even the Forum’s own social push around the report reflected that framing, seen in this World Economic Forum post.
The Climate Thread That Still Held
Climate showed up as “finance gaps”, “adaptation”, “nature”, and “resilient infrastructure”, plus energy transition debates tied to supply chains and minerals. Side sessions also leaned on practical delivery: bankable projects, permitting, and grids, not only pledges. Key reading: Annual Meeting 2026.
