Accelerating
the shift to a sustainable future

The TED Future Forum is an initiative of TED Countdown, focused on the role of business in accelerating solutions to the climate crisis.

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The goal is simple:

PIVOT COMPANIES TOWARDS A

sUSTAINABLE FUTURE

Our Mission

Given its reach and scale, business is vital to transforming the global economy and creating a more prosperous future for all. Yet, insufficient action continues to erode trust in business – both in the public eye and internally. Achieving an equitable, zero-carbon world requires nothing less than a transformation of the global economy. Research shows there is a multi-trillion-dollar opportunity in the transition.

We need a new narrative of possibility and action built on a clear understanding of the problems, tangible pathways towards rapid progress, and real examples of action in the private sector and beyond. All in pursuit of a healthier, fairer world.

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TEd Futureforum community

We are a community of companies committed to stepping up with greater climate ambition to help transform the global economy.

Future Quests 2025

Future Quests are learning journeys that unite global business leaders to explore the forces reshaping business and society

San Francisco, April 2025 and Copenhagen, October 2025

Learn More
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Companies

Our community of companies include:

CEMEX

Cemex is a global construction materials company that is building a better future through sustainable products and solutions. Cemex is committed to achieving carbon neutrality through relentless innovation and industry-leading research and development, and the company is at the forefront of the circular economy in the construction value chain and is pioneering ways to increase the use of waste and residues as alternative raw materials and fuels in its operations with the help of new technologies.

COFRA

COFRA Holding AG is a privately held group of companies active in various business sectors, including asset management (Anthos Fund & Asset Management), private equity investment management (Bregal), apparel retail (C&A), real estate investments (Redevco), renewable energy (Sunrock) and sustainable food (Dalsem, Ontario Plants Propagation). Headquartered in Zug, Switzerland, the group employs more than 60,000 people across its business operations in Europe, the Americas and Asia. Each business operates in a spirit of engaged entrepreneurship while striving to be a “force for good” in the world – a guiding principle that has characterized the Brenninkmeijer family owners’ activities for six generations, since the founding of C&A in 1841.

Circ

Circ pioneered technology that protects the planet from the cost of clothing by recycling complex polycotton blends, enabling fashion brands to reuse fibers and reduce harm to the Earth in the process

Danone

Danone is a leading global food & beverage company dedicated to bringing health through food to as many people as possible. Danone aims to inspire healthier and more sustainable eating and drinking practices, in line with the vision - Danone, One Planet. One Health - which reflects a strong belief that the health of people and the health of the planet are interconnected.

Ford Motor Company

Saving billions of gallons of water. Working to reduce waste to zero. Incorporating sustainable materials in our vehicles. Transitioning more of our manufacturing to renewable, carbon free electricity. It’s going to take some work. But that’s the road we're on at Ford. The Road to Better. It is our path to a better world, where every person is free to move and pursue their dreams. Learn more about The Road to Better and Ford’s commitment to building a more sustainable, inclusive and equitable transportation future at sustainability.ford.com.

GM

General Motors is a global company focused on advancing a more sustainable, zero emission future that is inclusive and accessible to all. GM envisions a world with zero crashes, zero emissions and zero congestion and it is taking bold action toward its plan to make its global products and operations carbon neutral by 2040 and eliminating tailpipe emissions from its new U.S. light-duty vehicles by 2035. 

Interface

Interface® is a global leader in modular flooring and a pioneer in sustainability that is working to become carbon negative by 2040. Over its decades-long sustainability journey, Interface has significantly reduced its carbon impacts across every aspect of its business, achieving incredible milestones along the way, and the company continues to transform its factories, products, and supply chain with a carbon negative future in mind.

Maersk

A.P. Moller - Maersk is an integrated logistics company working to connect and simplify its customers’ supply chains. As a global leader in logistics services, the company operates in more than 130 countries and employs over 100,000 people. Maersk is aiming to reach net zero emissions by 2040 across the entire business with new technologies, new vessels, and green fuels.

Mars, Incorporated

Mars, Incorporated is driven by the belief that the world we want tomorrow starts with how we do business today. Across our diverse and expanding portfolio of quality confectionery, food, and pet care products and services, we employ 140,000+ dedicated Associates.

Nestle

Northvolt

Northvolt was founded to enable the transition to a decarbonized future by establishing a sustainable battery industry. To do this, Northvolt is pioneering a new approach to battery manufacturing rooted in a commitment to fossil-free energy, sustainable sourcing of raw materials and recycling.

Novo Nordisk

Novo Nordisk is a leading global healthcare company, founded in 1923 and headquartered in Denmark. By aspiring to defeat serious chronic diseases while having zero environmental impact, we aim to address some of the biggest threats to human health and prosperity.

Orsted

The Ørsted vision is a world that runs entirely on green energy. Ørsted develops, constructs, and operates offshore and onshore wind farms, solar farms, energy storage facilities, renewable hydrogen and green fuels facilities, and bioenergy plants. Ørsted is the global market leader in offshore wind, and one of the largest renewable energy companies in the world. We’ve built the world’s first and the world’s largest offshore wind farms and know from experience that change is possible, when we work together towards a shared vision.

RHR

RHR believes leadership is a crucial force for good in the world, and our mission is to unlock the potential in every leader. RHR’s solutions use the combined power of psychology, business expertise, and the newest technologies to build robust leadership succession pipelines through world-class assessments and coaching and development programs.

Schneider Electric

Siemens

Siemens is a technology company focused on industry, infrastructure, transport, and healthcare. From more resource-efficient factories, resilient supply chains, and smarter buildings and grids, to sustainable transportation as well as advanced healthcare, we create technology with purpose adding real value for customers and the communities we serve.

Urban Partners

Urban Partners is a platform of vision-aligned investment strategies shaped around urban problem solving. By uniting insights, stakeholders and capital, its ambition is to deliver a long-term positive impact for all stakeholders. With a purpose to power the progress of cities, its focus is to help decarbonize the built environment and (re)generate urban neighborhoods.

The platform includes four ESG-focused investment strategies: European real estate investor Nrep, venture capital firm 2150, private equity investor Luma, and credit specialist Velo Capital. With €21bn under management, Urban Partners invest in assets, companies, technologies, and solutions. Founded in 2005, the platform today manages investments in more than 15 countries and employs 750 employees

W.L. Gore

Gore revolutionized the outerwear industry with waterproof, breathable GORE-TEX Fabric more than 45 years ago and remains a leading innovator of performance apparel. Gore fabrics products provide comfort and protection in challenging environments and in everyday life, enabling wearers to safely and confidently achieve and experience more. From hiking in downpours to defense operations and fighting fires, Gore’s deep understanding of consumer and industry needs drives development of products with meaningful performance advantages.

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