10 Emerging Technology Solutions for Planetary Health 2025: World Economic Forum Report
Published: 15 October 2025
As global environmental challenges intensify, innovative technological solutions are becoming crucial in efforts to safeguard planetary health. The World Economic Forum (WEF), in collaboration with the scientific journal Frontiers, has released an insightful report titled 10 Emerging Technology Solutions for Planetary Health. This publication highlights cutting-edge technologies that offer promise for restoring balance to Earth’s fragile ecosystems and natural systems.
Planetary Boundaries Under Threat
The report comes at a critical juncture. Scientific assessments reveal that seven of the nine established planetary boundaries — the natural limits that sustain Earth’s stable environment — have now been breached. These boundaries include climate change, biodiversity loss, nitrogen and phosphorus cycles, and freshwater use, among others. Overshooting these thresholds risks destabilizing the planet’s ecosystems, with potentially catastrophic consequences for humanity.
Highlighting Breakthrough Technologies
The World Economic Forum’s report showcases ten emerging technological solutions that could help reverse these dangerous trends and support a sustainable future. The featured technologies span multiple disciplines, including clean energy, biotechnology, materials science, and Earth observation.
Among these solutions are:
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Precision Fermentation: Advanced bioengineering techniques that enable efficient production of proteins and other materials, reducing reliance on conventional agriculture and lowering environmental footprints.
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Green Ammonia Production: Sustainable methods for ammonia synthesis powered by renewable energy, offering low-emission pathways for fertilizers crucial to global food security.
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Modular Geothermal Energy: Scalable geothermal systems that provide reliable, clean baseload power with minimal land use and emissions.
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Regenerative Desalination: Innovative desalination approaches that restore ecosystems and minimize energy consumption, helping to address freshwater shortages without harming marine life.
Beyond these examples, the report delves into how advances in materials science and Earth observation technology can optimize resource use, cut greenhouse gas emissions, and monitor environmental changes in real-time.
Responsible Scaling Through Policy, Finance, and Equity
The report does not merely advocate technological innovation; it also rigorously evaluates each solution through critical lenses of policy, finance, and equity. Recognizing that technology alone is not enough, the WEF emphasizes the importance of supportive governance frameworks, investment strategies, and inclusive approaches to ensure that benefits are equitably shared across societies.
This comprehensive assessment aims to promote responsible and effective deployment of emerging technologies so that they contribute to planetary health without exacerbating social inequalities.
A Vision for a Sustainable Future
Together, the ten emerging technologies featured by the World Economic Forum paint a hopeful picture of how innovation can help humanity navigate complex environmental challenges. By harnessing these breakthroughs, it may be possible to restore the Earth’s vital systems, reduce emissions, regenerate ecosystems, and transition to sustainable resource use.
The 10 Emerging Technology Solutions for Planetary Health report underscores the transformative potential of technology to create resilient, equitable pathways toward a sustainable future — where the health of people and the planet are deeply interconnected.
Accessing the Report
The full report is available for download as a PDF on the World Economic Forum website. It is published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Public License, which allows for sharing in accordance with the Forum’s terms of use.
For more information, and to explore related content on planetary health and new technologies, readers can visit the World Economic Forum’s dedicated platforms and subscribe to their newsletters.
For further reading:
- Planet under pressure: 10 emerging tech solutions to watch
- Our planet’s vital signs are flashing red — innovative solutions to reverse the trend
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