Faith in Action: Religion and Spirituality in the Polycrisis

The report argues that with 85% of the world's population adhering to religious or spiritual traditions, global leaders must develop 'faith fluency' to avoid missing opportunities for positive impact. It details how faith actors—ranging from local communities to faith-based investors—can collaborate with businesses to tackle the 'polycrisis.' The document provides eight case studies across four thematic areas: environmental care (e.g., just transition frameworks), health (e.g., SME healthcare delivery), inclusive communities (e.g., affordable housing), and technology governance (e.g., AI ethics and combating online hate). It concludes with guidance for leaders on organizational readiness, value alignment, and managing public perception to ensure authentic, non-proselytizing collaborations.

• Religion remains a dominant global force, with 85% of the world's population adhering to a religious or spiritual tradition, and most major religious groups expected to grow by 2050.
• Faith-based investors represent a significant financial force, with 360 faith-based funds globally holding total net assets of $5 trillion, and Islamic sovereign wealth fund assets accounting for approximately 3.8% of the global economy in 2020.
• The 'Council for Inclusive Capitalism' developed a just transition framework with the Vatican and Boston Consulting Group, which has since seen 13 multinational companies share commitments to action.
• In India, Hari Haribol Dairy Products leverages the global network of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) to sell ethical dairy products, reaching $3 million in annual revenue and integrating 2,000 rural communities into its supply chain.
• The TBN Alliance supports SMEs in frontier markets to provide healthcare; for example, the Olivelink Healthcare initiative in Nairobi served over 115,000 low-income earners and delivered 4,000 babies.
• The ACT Alliance and Hospitainer partnership enables the deployment of mobile medical clinics in humanitarian zones; one such clinic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo served 4,205 people in its first six months.
• Habitat for Humanity and Whirlpool have maintained a 24-year partnership, with Whirlpool contributing $125 million in appliances to benefit nearly 197,000 households.
• The Global Solidarity Fund and Unilever launched the TRANSFORM Colombia programme in 2021 as a $1 million initiative to support social entrepreneurship for marginalized groups, including migrants and refugees.
• The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) monitors online hate and reports a significant rise in antisemitism; a study from 2020-2021 found a 41% increase in antisemitic posts and a 1,375% increase in antisemitic usernames on TikTok.
• The Rome Call for AI Ethics, supported by the Abu Dhabi Forum for Peace and tech companies like Microsoft and IBM, advocates for six principles in AI deployment: transparency, inclusion, accountability, impartiality, reliability, and security and privacy.

APA

World Economic Forum (2024). Faith in Action: Religion and Spirituality in the Polycrisis. https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Faith_in_Action_2024.pdf

Chicago

World Economic Forum. Faith in Action: Religion and Spirituality in the Polycrisis. 2024. https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Faith_in_Action_2024.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Economic Forum |title=Faith in Action: Religion and Spirituality in the Polycrisis |date=January 2024 |url=https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Faith_in_Action_2024.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldeconomicforum2024faith, author = {{World Economic Forum}}, title = {{Faith in Action: Religion and Spirituality in the Polycrisis}}, institution = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2024}, month = jan, url = {https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Faith_in_Action_2024.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }