Struggling infrastructure is draining economies and hindering human potential around the world. According to the INRIX Global Traffic Scorecard, congestion cost drivers in the United States more than $87bn in 2018 whilst emerging economies such as Russia, Turkey, Colombia, Mexico and Brazil are even worse effected, ranking as the top five most-gridlocked nations. For instance, in Moscow, INRIX estimates that every driver loses 210 hours to congestion every year.

Climate change poses an urgent threat demanding decisive action. Communities around the world are already experiencing increased climate impacts, from droughts to floods to rising seas. To limit the global temperature rise, it is essential that businesses, policy-makers, and civil society advance comprehensive near- and long-term actions in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement on climate change.

Global shifts including digitalisation, the transition towards a greener economy and major demographic changes have increased the global skills gap. According to the Skills for jobs database by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), at least 80 million workers in Europe are mismatched in terms of qualifications. This means workers lack the proper qualification for the job they have been hired to do, either because they are under-qualified or overqualified.