Ahead of 2025, we took the opportunity to explore Kairos Future’s foresight report, which has now resulted in seven shifts leading up to 2030. Today, we will focus on the second shift. Follow us regularly if you want to gain insights into the driving forces that will shape our near future—starting this year.

Business: From Idea to Practice

In April 2016, David Fink, CEO of the world’s largest asset manager BlackRock, launched an ambitious initiative focused on ESG. The goal was not only to reduce CO2 emissions for the sake of the climate and the economy, but also to influence corporate governance in the companies where BlackRock was a major shareholder.

At the same time, Peter Carlsson began raising capital to realize Europe’s first and largest—and the world’s most sustainable—battery factory. It was a bold and pivotal move, soon backed by both politicians and large corporations such as Volvo, Scania, BMW, and the Volkswagen Group.

Two years later, Klarna launched an aggressive expansion into the U.S. market—a journey that quickly transformed profits into billion-dollar losses. At the time, the cost of growth was not questioned—it was simply seen as the price of ambition.

But in the spring of 2023, an unexpected shift occurred: Fink distanced himself from the ESG concept, calling it a politicized term. Instead, he advocated for a more pragmatic view on energy. Klarna’s era of losses was nearing an end as funding dried up and the focus returned to profitability.
At the same time, Northvolt was dealt a serious blow when BMW terminated a multi-billion contract. The company’s financing and public support began to falter.

Despite differing circumstances, these events reflect something larger: a sobering reality. Realism and profitability take precedence over debt and vague promises. It’s time to return to fundamentals—Back to Basics.

Since the report was written, we’ve seen even more pronounced economic challenges, with trade tariffs being announced and implemented, triggering both stock market chaos and brief recoveries. It’s far from over—and the only certainty is uncertainty.

Focusing on tangible value is becoming not just a trend but a necessity, in order for there to be anything real to evaluate. Ideas, however inspiring, still can’t replace the fact that basics are always basics.

Over the next 7 weeks, we will present six more shifts that will affect us heading into 2030. But as we’ve said before—in a world where so much is uncertain, it is wise to focus on what we know is stable and be prepared for sharp turns in the things we cannot predict.

What do we do, when we are not sharing inspiration?

Do you need to bridge a recruitment gap, cover parental leave, increase flexibility during peak periods, bring in specialist expertise, or carry out improvement projects related to today’s or future needs?

Feel free to reach out – we’d love to treat you to a cup of coffee and hear your thoughts.

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