Climate tech, how CEOs can play the long game, corporate affairs for a new geopolitical era, and more: The Weekend Read

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The Weekend Read

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Brought to you by Alex Panas, global leader of industries, & Axel Karlsson, global leader of functional practices and growth platforms

Welcome to the latest edition of The Weekend Read. We hope you find our perspectives useful. Let us know what you think at Alex_Panas@McKinsey.com and Axel_Karlsson@McKinsey.com.

—Alex and Axel

Catch up on the week’s big insights on the future of climate tech, how CEOs can play the long game, corporate affairs for a new geopolitical era, and more.

A day and a night on a floating island powered by cutting-edge climate technologies, designed to support and provide sustainable energy for the adjacent city.

Climate technologies can play a critical role in delivering decarbonization and improved energy security. According to research by Martin Linder , Bernd Heid , Mark Patel , and coauthors, nine energy technologies could reduce more than half of total human-made greenhouse gas emissions if deployed at scale—and 80 percent of these emission reductions would also directly promote energy security.

Check out the interactive

Aerial view of metal raw materials stacked at freight terminal

The materials industry has seen four significant shifts in the past year. Looking ahead, success likely requires capturing growth while improving productivity and delivering sustainable solutions, according to the Global Materials Perspective 2025 report.

Download the full report

Weekly spotlight on geopolitics

Geopolitics has always been part of the corporate-affairs portfolio. In a new article, Robin Nuttall and Ziad Haider explore how enterprises are adapting their corporate-affairs functions to meet new demands and outline five actions that can help teams navigate geopolitical tumult: mapping their world, honing their narrative, optimizing their engagement, adapting the function’s organizational structure, and investing in new capabilities.

An image linking to the web page “Upgrading corporate affairs for a new geopolitical era” on McKinsey.com.

Manage geoeconomic complexity

Portrait of Güliz Öztürk, CEO of Türkiye’s Pegasus Airlines

The CEO of Pegasus Airlines, Güliz Öztürk, speaks with McKinsey’s Can Kendi about the company’s transformation from a charter operation to a scheduled airline, the difficulty of applying a low-cost approach to long-haul travel, and Pegasus’ efforts to become a tech innovator in the airline sector.

Dive into the interview

Portrait of Sarah Keohane Williamson, CEO of FCLTGlobal

In a conversation with Tim Koller , FCLTGlobal’s Sarah Keohane Williamson discusses her mission to foster long-term thinking in both investors and companies.

Play the long game

Ready to unwind?

Portrait of Josh Harris, founder of 26North

The Josh Harris playbook: building cultures of excellence in business and sports

The founder of 26North shares his thoughts on leadership, starting anew at 55, and the power of sports to create community in today’s world.

Trust your gut

Connect to the future, Close-up of extended finger clicking computer screen

Exploring the frontier: Technology trends in Asia

Cutting-edge technologies present exciting possibilities for organizations globally and in Asia, but their full potential needs to be unlocked.

Join the discussion

The McKinsey Crossword: Head Strong | No. 253

2-Down: With 4-Across and 8-Down, book published today written by McKinsey senior partners whose subtitle is 20-, 45-, and 22-Down

Know the answer? Test yourself with the latest McKinsey Crossword: Head Strong | No. 253

Master the craft

—Edited by Joyce Yoo, editor, New York

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