Dear Friends and Supporters,

Welcome to the Pathfinder 2022, the Annual Report of the World Future Council! What kind of future can we and our future generations expect? The year 2022 was overshadowed by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and our weaknesses were painfully brought home to us: our dependence on Russian oil and gas, a feeling of powerlessness in the face of human rights violations and war crimes and, finally, the as yet unresolved problem of the world’s arsenal of nuclear weapons. Moreover, the year ended in great frustration when unconvincing results from the UN Climate Change Conference in Sharm el-Sheikh diminished optimism for the global cooperation for climate protection.

Yet there were also glimmers of hope, showing us that things are moving forward and that the global community is acting responsibly. In July 2022, the UN General Assembly recognised the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment and declared this a human right. The Kunming-Montreal agreement finally established the common goal of placing 30 per cent of land and oceans under protection – two achievements to which we contributed. In addition, the UN Environment Assembly declared that a legally binding interna- tional plastics treaty will be negotiated by 2024 – a long overdue step that we very much welcome!

In this turbulent year, we celebrated a special occasion. Our Annual General Meeting in Pontresina marked our 15th anniversary and was the first gathering of the WFC family since the outbreak of the pandemic. Amidst a breathtaking (albeit threatened) Alpine backdrop, we came together with a great deal of energy and enthusiasm and outlined important solutions for a common future. Despite all the challenges and crises, we have hope: in our Pontresina Declaration, we identify what needs to be done to address the global crises.

Since our inception, we have made it our mission to advocate for the rights and well-being of future generations. Our founding document in 2007 made it clear: “We promise to do everything in our power to help sustain life on Earth with all its beauty and diversity for future generations.” Working for the well-being of future generations will continue to be at the heart of all our activities. Through our contribution to the UN Summit of the Future, taking place in 2024, we want to enshrine the rights of future generations at the highest level.

For us, the year ended with a visual makeover: a new website and a new logo show that we are looking to the future with optimism and enthusiasm.

In this spirit, we hope you enjoy reading our annual report!