World Sustainable Development Forum

What World Sustainable Development Forum does

The World Sustainable Development Forum (WSDF) is a not-for-profit global initiative that convenes political leaders, business executives, civil society, academia and youth to promote implementation of the Paris Agreement on climate change and the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals. The organization operates through two principal mechanisms: periodic global forums (Mexico City in February 2018; Durango, Mexico in March 2020, drawing stakeholders from 27 countries) and the joint publication of analytical briefs — most notably the Climate Ambition and Sustainability Action (CASA) series produced with Protect Our Planet Movement and distributed to policy makers, politicians, thought leaders, and the development community. Underlying technology consists of a WordPress-hosted website (worldsdf.org) functioning as a knowledge reservoir with an interactive discussion platform, supplemented by email newsletters and social channels (Facebook, Twitter/X, YouTube, Instagram); no proprietary software product, APIs, or AI/ML components are disclosed.

WSDF is legally federated across three jurisdictions — continental Europe, the Nordic region, and the United States, where WSDF-NA carries 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status and is headquartered at 48 Wall Street, Suite 1100, New York, with a regional office in Washington. The revenue model is charitable contributions accepted via PayPal and wire transfer to Wells Fargo Bank; the organization does not sell commercial products or services and provides its knowledge outputs freely. Customers in the conventional sense are non-paying audiences — government decision makers, business leaders, research and academic institutions, and youth/civil society — reached through partner networks that include the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, Climate Finance Partners, the National Maritime Foundation, Instituto Politecnico Nacional, and The Perfect World Foundation.

Organizational leadership transitioned after the February 2020 death of founding President Dr. R.K. Pachauri (former IPCC Chairman and 2007 Nobel Peace Prize laureate); current executive leadership comprises Vice President Terry Tamminen and Secretary/Treasurer Dr. Ash Pachauri, supported by a 15-member Board including the Chairman of Climate Finance Partners, the CEO of the Mexican Climate Initiative, and senior figures from Stanford University and CDC Group. WSDF's competitive position rests on the convening power of its network of more than 20 Patrons — predominantly former heads of state and government — and on the reputational intangible of the IPCC/Nobel association.

Name

World Sustainable Development Forum

Legal name

World Sustainable Development Forum

Website

https://worldsdf.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The World Sustainable Development Forum is a not-for-profit initiative that convenes political leaders, business leaders, civil society, and youth to drive implementation of the Paris Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals through periodic global forums and joint analytical publications.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainable Development Advocacy

NAICS

International Affairs (928120), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)

akta.pro primary industry

Climate Change Mitigation & Adaptation (BPAGAGAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Environment, Climate & Sustainability Congresses (THAHAJAH), Climate Policy, Governance & NDC Support (BPADALAA)

Keywords

• Sustainable development advocacy
• Climate action forums
• Global stakeholder convening
• Policy research briefs
• Nonprofit climate initiative

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: WSDF operates as a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization (WSDF-NA) in the United States. The organization accepts donations to support global action for implementing the Paris Agreement and SDGs. Donations can be made online via PayPal and through domestic wire transfers to Wells Fargo Bank.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The World Sustainable Development Forum (WSDF) is a not-for-profit global initiative that convenes political leaders, business leaders, civil society, academia and youth through periodic international forums to mobilize action on implementation of the Paris Agreement on climate change and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Its supporting offerings include the Climate Ambition and Sustainability Action (CASA) analytical briefs series, produced jointly with Protect Our Planet Movement, and a knowledge-sharing website that serves as an interactive platform for debate and dissemination of research on climate and sustainability topics.

Product overview

The World Sustainable Development Forum (WSDF) is a not-for-profit organization that operates as a convening platform for sustainable development, not a software product company. The core offering consists of periodic global forums bringing together government leaders, business executives, civil society, and youth to address climate change and the SDGs. Supporting products include the Climate Ambition and Sustainability Action (CASA) analytical briefs series produced jointly with the Protect Our Planet Movement, and an interactive website serving as a knowledge reservoir. The organization has no commercial product portfolio in the traditional SaaS sense.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• World Sustainable Development Forum (WSDF) Global Forums A not-for-profit global forum held periodically in different locations worldwide that brings together political leaders, business leaders, civil society, academia and youth to deliberate on and mobilize action for implementation of the Paris Agreement on climate change and the Sustainable Development Goals.
• Climate Ambition and Sustainability Action (CASA) Analytical Briefs

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Perfect World FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 September 2018WSDF partnered with The Perfect World Foundation (based in Gothenburg, Sweden) for an event on September 6, 2018 focused on climate change and wildlife, featuring Sir David Attenborough and the Duchess of York.
• Leonardo DiCaprio FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2018The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation co-sponsored the first WSDF in Mexico City (February 1-3, 2018). Terry Tamminen, CEO of the Foundation, participated in the forum proceedings.
• Climate Finance PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2018Climate Finance Partners co-sponsored the first WSDF in Mexico City (February 1-3, 2018). Chairman Richmond Mayo-Smith participated as a speaker on energy and emissions pathways.
• National Maritime FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe National Maritime Foundation and WSDF signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in December 2020 to formalize their partnership. Both organizations share a joint vision and have collaborated on research publications including the Partner Series Discussion Papers on climate and maritime security topics.
• Protect Our Planet MovementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWSDF produces the Climate Ambition and Sustainability Action (CASA) analytical briefs series jointly with Protect Our Planet Movement. Both organizations share the mission of mobilizing youth and stakeholders for climate action and implementing the Paris Agreement and SDGs.
• ActNowminorOthersActNow is listed as a partner organization of WSDF, collaborating on climate action initiatives.
• POP MovementscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPOP Movements collaborates with WSDF on youth initiatives and climate action campaigns. The POP Fest 2024 is promoted on WSDF's website.
• Instituto Politécnico Nacional (IPN)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIPN supported the first WSDF in Mexico City as a world-class Mexican university partner.
• United States Energy Association (USEA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSEA is listed as a partner organization, with Executive Director Barry Worthington participating as a speaker at WSDF events.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Climate Action Network (CAN): CAN is a global network of over 1,500 civil society organizations coordinating advocacy at UN climate negotiations, comparable to WSDF in convening civil society and producing policy-relevant analysis on climate ambition.
• The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI): TERI is a Delhi-based research and policy organization founded and led for decades by Dr. R.K. Pachauri, sharing WSDF's roots, climate-sustainable-development mandate, and analytical-publication approach, with multiple overlapping board and fellow relationships.
• Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI): SEI is an independent research organization producing policy analysis on climate, environment, and sustainable development for governments and international bodies, directly comparable to WSDF's analytical brief and policy advisory function.
• International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD): IISD conducts policy research and convenes stakeholders on sustainable development and international trade-environment linkages, sharing WSDF's knowledge-broker role and SDG implementation focus.
• Protect Our Planet Movement (POP Movement): POP Movement is WSDF's strategic partner and co-producer of the CASA analytical briefs, sharing an overlapping mission of mobilizing action on the Paris Agreement and SDGs with a particular focus on youth engagement.
• Climate Group: Climate Group convenes governments and businesses to accelerate climate action and runs international campaigns and summits, closely paralleling WSDF's stakeholder-engagement and convening focus on the Paris Agreement and SDGs.

Broad incumbents

• World Resources Institute (WRI): WRI is a major global research organization that produces climate, energy, and sustainable development analysis for policymakers and business leaders, directly comparable to WSDF's analytical brief and knowledge-dissemination mission, though at far larger scale and with broader topic coverage.
• World Economic Forum (WEF): WEF runs the annual Davos forum and other convening platforms that bring together political leaders, business executives, and civil society on global issues including climate and sustainability, paralleling WSDF's high-profile convening model.
• United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC): UNFCCC is the primary intergovernmental forum for international climate negotiations and Paris Agreement implementation, the policy backdrop that WSDF's convening activities aim to support and amplify.

Regional players

• C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group: C40 convenes major world cities to drive climate action and share policy best practices, overlapping with WSDF's subnational government engagement and its network of former heads of state acting as city- and country-level climate champions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/theworldsdf
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCh5cYtuRRRKTFPveiDufwkg
• Facebookfacebook.com/theworldsdf
• Instagraminstagram.com/theworldsdf

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about World Sustainable Development Forum