Under the stewardship and capable leadership of the Institute of Directors in promoting sound governance, ethical practices, and strategic foresight, I have chosen to highlight regenerative capitalism which goes beyond sustainability, and which begs the question of how we can heal, restore, and renew what we have lost.

We are operating in a world where the rules of global commerce are being rewritten in real time. Trade wars, protectionism, climate shocks, and geopolitical fragmentation have exposed the vulnerabilities of even the most sophisticated business models. What was once seen as exceptional volatility is fast becoming the new normal. In this environment, resilience is no longer a defensive strategy. It is a leadership imperative.

Resilience today demands more than efficiency. It demands regeneration. Regenerative capitalism is emerging not just as a moral compass, but as a strategic blueprint for companies seeking to remain relevant, competitive and trusted in an era defined by systemic risk and rapid change. Throughout history, from ancient trade routes to modern multinational corporations, business and industry have been fundamental drivers of change: facilitating the exchange of ideas, the dissemination of knowledge, and the development of complex social and political systems. From the industrial revolution's mass manufacturing to the digital age's quantum computing, they have consistently played a central role in the evolution of civilisation – shaping the human experience and moving humanity into the future.

It is interesting, even fascinating, to look at some of the many ways we try to glance at the future or get glimpses of it. Modern forecasting may rely heavily on data modelling, but the past has been privy to rather uncommon models. Almost everything we know has been used to interpret the unknowns: cards, dreams, small bones, large clouds, the movements of celestial bodies and the entrails of animal bodies. The ancient Romans examined the guts of a freshly sacrificed goat to study forthcoming events.

We may not be studying sacrificed animals anymore, but we do sacrifice our weekends building 200-slide decks about what may happen in 2040.

The human desire to understand and anticipate the future has many approaches. Thankfully – and in some cases, hopefully – we can differentiate between those with empirical grounding, and those that are only rooted in belief systems. In this clutter, we often tend to overlook the rearview mirror.

It may be a metaphorical concept, but it is also a literal one. Historical data provides insights into recurring patterns and developments, as a deep understanding of cause-and-effect relationships. Analysing this helps avoid repeat mistakes, make informed predictions, and anticipate most outcomes.

The future though, is neither a perfect reflection nor a replica of the past.

The unforeseen can always – and at any time – disrupt what is established and establish a new way forward. Business and industry bear credible witness to this complex continuity of past and future. As twin engines, they have been more than instrumental, they are pivotal, in shaping the trajectory of the world.

In this room, and in boardrooms across the world, many aspects of this future look dubious and daunting, especially when the geopolitical temperature seems to fluctuate between confrontation, hostility, and volatility. As leaders of business and industry, we have long relied upon traditional capitalism to create wealth, maximise profit, and appease shareholders.

For some years now, we have also ascribed to the principles of participating in a responsible and sustainable economy. We have begun decarbonising. We are engaging with stakeholders. We champion inclusivity, we promote circularity. We are building resilience; we are aiming to be more accountable. But when we say we care deeply about the next generation, there is room for doubt whether it is the next generation of people or of smart phones.

Sustainability today is largely understood as mitigating harm; something akin to putting a band-aid on a substantially larger wound. The reality is the way we do business remains harmful.

A convergence of social, economic, and ecological crises threatens human wellbeing and planetary stability. This is accelerated by its influence on global economies and its impact on billions of people. And even as we extract resources and ignore inequalities, we tend to treat these as externalities – as someone else's problem.

I would like to discuss something that can flip this script. There is a growing migration of academics, financiers, and journalists, away from liberal market orthodoxy and they are provoking business and industry to think differently about capital, growth, and place.

Regenerative capitalism goes beyond the idea of sustainability, which often asks, 'How do we do less harm'. Instead, it asks the more urgent and transformational question, 'How can we create systems that actively heal, restore, and renew what we've lost'.

Regenerative capitalism goes beyond the idea of sustainability, which often asks, 'How do we do less harm'. Instead, it asks the more urgent and transformational question, 'How can we create systems that actively heal, restore, and renew what we've lost'.

Across industries, visionary companies are already putting this philosophy into action. Patagonia reinvests profits to protect ecosystems and advocate for climate justice. Interface, once a traditional carpet manufacturer, has reimagined its operations to become carbon negative. Danone works directly with farmers to regenerate soil health and build resilience in the global food system.

The bedrock principle is: Don't just minimise harm but actively heal. In a business sense this means everything must have two functions – to take and to give back. In terms of purpose, it means giving back more than we are taking.

This thinking has considerable support and substantiation. John Fullerton, and his organisation, the Capital Institute, advocate for 'an economics of permanence'. The Hewlett Foundation is promoting 'new common sense' about how the economy works and the aims it should serve. The Royal Society for Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) is a global network of changemakers who are enabling people, places, and the planet to flourish in harmony. They are all making the case to move from a degenerative system to a regenerative one.

This movement is headed by the World Economic Forum which is urging both corporations and governments to look beyond net-zero emissions and look instead at a net-positive impact.

Very simply put, we need a shift – from doing less harm towards doing more good.

I want to highlight an ideal from our host nation. For decades, sovereign wealth funds have played a critical role in maintaining economic stability and ensuring national prosperity, irrespective of where they are based. In the UAE, they have evolved past these traditional roles. As key players in energy and food security, financial technology, and sustainable living, through projects and investments around the globe, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) and Dubai Investment Fund (DIF) are two institutions leading this transformation, while expanding global influence and impact.

Their collective assets, estimated at well over a trillion US dollars, underscore their strategic significance: not just as financial reserves but as agents of change, as architects of new economics. As uncertainty multiplies with energy transitions, technological disruptions, shifting financial landscapes, and tariffs, the UAE is not merely reacting, it is leading.

What sets this truly apart is the commitment to longterm transformation, rather than short-term rewards. With impact-driven investments, they are no longer safeguarding capital for future generations, they are shaping a different future for them.

The unforeseen can always – and at any time – disrupt what is established and establish a new way forward. Business and industry bear credible witness to this complex continuity of past and future.

Business and industry have brought extraordinary progress in medicine, literacy, life expectancy, connectivity, and with it, climate change, mass extinction, plastics in water bodies, microplastics inside human bodies, and air and water so polluted in places it classifies as solid state.

That rearview mirror shows us how we have done some impressive building, and quite a lot of unintentional demolition along the way. Somehow, we have heated the planet, hollowed out ecosystems, and confused the seasons – all while boosting quarterly earnings. We seem to have jammed the gearstick into reverse while admiring those rear views.

Nostalgia is not a strategy, but neither is optimism dressed up as plans. Somewhere between rose-tinted hindsight and tech-fuelled fantasy is the hard, honest work of regeneration.

There is no PowerPoint presentation to save or safeguard us. Regeneration requires a great deal of thought, and a lot more of action. Much of this is likely to be unpalatable and many parts impossible if we stay focused only on profits. And that is our biggest challenge: to really move away from that. As business leaders, we must move from reactive adaptation to proactive regeneration. The companies that will lead through disruption are those that invest not just in the efficiency of their operations, but in the health of the systems around them.

This is not just smart strategy, it is necessary leadership. Let us not wait for clarity to emerge from chaos, let us be the clarity. Let us build businesses that are not only prepared for the future, but designed to regenerate it.

We must reevaluate what it really means to be successful, and assume the responsibility to restore and build, rather than exploit and destroy – not just to reduce harm, but to actively create positive change. We have a path to create this legacy of revival rather than depletion, and we certainly have the potential to become its flagbearers.

Let us ask ourselves questions. The answers will create actionable strategies for creating and protecting value. Our strength is drawn from the questions we dare to ask, and our actions will arise from the answers.

If there is one thing we can do, let us do only good.

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