10 Emerging Technology Solutions for Planetary Health 2025: A World Economic Forum Report
Published: 15 October 2025
As humanity confronts escalating environmental crises, the stability of Earth’s natural systems is increasingly at risk. According to a new report titled 10 Emerging Technology Solutions for Planetary Health, released by the World Economic Forum in collaboration with Frontiers, seven of the nine planetary boundaries—critical thresholds that maintain a stable and hospitable planet—have already been breached. The report illuminates the pivotal role of innovation and emerging technologies in restoring these boundaries and fostering a sustainable future.
Understanding Planetary Boundaries and the Urgency for Innovation
Planetary boundaries are the Earth system processes that regulate environmental stability, including climate regulation, biodiversity, and biogeochemical cycles. When these boundaries are transgressed, the risk of irreversible environmental degradation rises sharply. The World Economic Forum’s latest publication underscores the alarming reality that most of these thresholds are under threat, calling for urgent, coordinated action.
Highlights of the 10 Emerging Technologies
The report identifies and evaluates ten breakthrough technologies that promise to address key environmental challenges by leveraging advances in clean energy, biotechnology, materials science, and Earth observation systems. Among these technologies are:
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Precision Fermentation: A method that enables the production of proteins and other biomolecules without conventional agriculture, reducing land and water use, and cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
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Green Ammonia Production: Developing sustainable ammonia synthesis pathways powered by renewable energy, crucial for fertilizer production without the typical carbon footprint.
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Modular Geothermal Energy: Compact, scalable geothermal plants that provide reliable, clean baseload energy.
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Regenerative Desalination: Innovative desalination techniques that restore ecosystems while supplying fresh water in water-scarce regions.
These technologies collectively hold transformative potential to reduce emissions, restore damaged ecosystems, and optimize the use of natural resources.
Assessing Impact through Policy, Finance, and Equity
To ensure these innovations do not merely remain technical novelties, the report evaluates each solution through three critical lenses:
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Policy: Identifying regulatory frameworks and governance models necessary to support responsible development and deployment.
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Finance: Highlighting investment needs and financial incentives to scale technologies effectively.
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Equity: Ensuring inclusive access and benefits distribution, particularly addressing underserved and vulnerable communities.
This multidimensional analysis aims to foster not only technological progress but also equitable and sustainable scaling.
Toward a More Resilient and Sustainable Future
“Together, these solutions demonstrate how emerging technologies can safeguard planetary health,” states the report, emphasizing their capacity to chart pathways toward enduring resilience and sustainability.
Related Engagement
The World Economic Forum hosted a dedicated session on these themes during the Annual Meetings of the Global Future Councils and Cybersecurity 2025. Speakers included notable experts such as Masami Onoda, Yousef Yousef, Sally Mousa, Leigh Ann Winowiecki, and Drew Shindell, who discussed the intersection of technology, policy, and environmental stewardship.
Access and Further Information
The full report, 10 Emerging Technology Solutions for Planetary Health, is available for download in PDF format. The World Economic Forum encourages its responsible sharing under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Public License.
For those interested in complementary insights, additional reading includes:
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Climate and nature action is changing: How new mindsets and solutions will help, reflecting on the upcoming COP30 summit in Brazil.
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Planet under pressure: 10 emerging tech solutions to watch, an earlier exploration of technology’s role in climate response.
About the World Economic Forum
The World Economic Forum is committed to shaping global, regional, and industry agendas to improve the state of the world. Through reports such as this, the Forum catalyzes dialogue and action on sustainability and innovation.
For more details, to download the report, or to view related content, please visit the World Economic Forum website.
