As Greta Thunberg declared at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos in January 2020, “Our house is on fire.” From scorched landscapes to melting ice caps and polluted oceans, the impacts of climate change are clear and immediate. Yet despite the warning signs, progress to limit global warming remains slow and inadequate.

Now, as the world grapples with the disruption of COVID-19—a crisis that at once threatens climate action and reinforces the need for collective efforts—businesses and governments are realising that they can’t simply return to normal. But can this disruption spur positive action?

The Economist’s Sustainability Virtual Week will bring together industry leaders, policymakers, impact investors, entrepreneurs and researchers to assess what businesses in particular—but also governments and NGOs—can do to rise to the challenge. How can solutions be scaled up to meet internationally agreed goals? Can the disruption of COVID-19 accelerate progress? How can we scale solutions, alter behaviours and collaborate better?

Conference website