According to GEM research, over 50% of entrepreneurs in 21 out of 35 economies surveyed (2021-2023) reported taking steps to minimise environment impact.
This was among the findings highlighted at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland yesterday. On invitation of the Schwab and Bertelsmann Foundations, Aileen Ionescu-Somers, GEM Executive Director, and Niels Bosma, GEM Senior Research Advisor, travelled to Davos to attend a series of workshops at the Social Innovation House, a newly created platform within the WEF event to showcase the latest “thinking and doing” in social innovation. The Social Innovation House is a space where social innovators can connect, collaborate and drive transformational change. From education to climate action, from mental health to gender equality, the purpose is to advance the Sustainable Development Goals while pioneering new solutions beyond them.
Bosma was part of a panel discussion focused on innovative data frameworks and financing mechanisms that are accelerating impact investing and driving sustainable change to achieve the 2030 Agenda. The panel shared cutting-edge approaches that connect data-driven insights with investment decisions to maximise social and environmental impact.
In addition to Bosma, other speakers were Dr. Brigitte Mohn, Member of the Executive Board at the Bertelsmann Foundation; Daniel Nowack, Head of the Global Alliance for Social Entrepreneurship at the World Economic Forum; and Ajaita Shah, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Frontier Markets Moderator. The moderator was Fredrik Galtung, Co-Chief Facilitator, Catalyst Now.
The forthcoming 2023/24 GEM Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Report was profiled during this panel discussion, as was the formidable work that GEM has accomplished in collecting data over 25 years. This report, sponsored by the Schwab and Bertelsmann Foundations, will be launched at our 2024/25 GEM Global Report Launch event on the afternoon of 18th February 2025.
Access the video recording of the session at the Social Innovation House – Data Convergence & SDGs financing: The Future of Impact Investing.