Grassroots to Boardrooms: Social Innovation Partnerships for Climate Adaptation

Building on previous World Economic Forum insights, the Grassroots to Boardrooms: Social Innovation Partnerships for Climate Adaptation white paper provides concrete avenues for businesses to act on climate change by partnering with leading social innovators.

Acting on climate change is no longer just a moral imperative. The cost of climate change to businesses is estimated at $1.3 trillion per year. And the projected market volume for solutions related to climate adaptation may reach $2 trillion annually by 2030.

For instance, Jan Sahas offers support for over 3.5 million migrant workers in India by working with global brands, SEKEM has improved climate-resilient agriculture for 2,000 farmers in Egypt and its corporate partners, and Hindustan Unilever's Prabhat initiative has supported over 9.5 million people along its supply chain to adapt to climate change. These and 50 other examples illustrate the potential for partnerships between community-driven social innovators and global businesses to co-develop climate-resilient value chains.