Global CSR Foundation chief uses Davos platform to call for ethical AI and women-led growth

Jing Zhao Cesarone spoke during World Economic Forum week on ESG, corporate responsibility, AI governance, education and the role of women in shaping future economies

Jing Zhao Cesarone, The European’s Climate Change Correspondent, has used a series of Davos appearances to argue that corporate responsibility, ethical AI and women’s leadership must move closer to the centre of global economic decision-making.

The founder and chief executive of the Global CSR Foundation spoke during the 2026 World Economic Forum week in Davos, where she took part in forums and closed-door strategy discussions on ESG, sustainable development, AI governance, education and women’s economic power.

The annual meeting was held under the theme “Resilience and Shared Prosperity: Shaping the Global Economy in the Post-Crisis Era”.

It brought together political leaders, business executives, international organisations, academics and civil society figures to discuss economic recovery, climate action, technology ethics and governance reform.

Cesarone’s interventions focused on what she described as the need to reconnect ESG and corporate responsibility with human values, long-term thinking and accountability between generations.

She said ESG systems had become more sophisticated in measurement and compliance, but risked becoming too technical if separated from wider responsibility.

“What we need is not only more efficient systems, but leadership grounded in empathy, intergenerational accountability, and long-term thinking. Women’s Civilizational Leadership provides the ethical foundation for the next evolution of ESG,” she added.

At the USA HOUSE AI Forum in Davos, Cesarone joined discussions on artificial intelligence and responsible innovation.

She argued that corporate social responsibility is now a core business capability linked to strategy, investment and governance, rather than a branding exercise.

Drawing on Global CSR Foundation initiatives, she pointed to work on educational equity, women’s economic empowerment, green transition and community co-creation.

The Global CSR Foundation said her remarks framed CSR as long-term infrastructure for more resilient economies.

Women’s leadership was also a central theme across the Davos programme.

The source material cited high-level dialogues hosted by Forbes Middle East, conversations on the future of women, policy discussions involving leaders including Justin Trudeau, and sessions on workplace power structures, women-led micro and small enterprises in India, and women, wealth and capital at Mad Money Club.

Cesarone said: “This is not a trend. It is a defining signal of our era. The window for structural change has opened — and women are shaping the new rules.”

She also used discussions on AI and future education to call for education systems that prepare young people for complex and changing environments rather than fixed career paths.

She argued that schools and universities should place greater emphasis on ethical reasoning, interdisciplinary thinking and what she calls civilisational consciousness.

She said: “National competitiveness in the AI era will not be defined solely by speed of innovation, but by the depth of ethical leadership.”

Cesarone’s wider argument at Davos was that sustainable development in the post-crisis era requires leadership rooted in empathy, systems thinking and civilisational responsibility, as well as capital, policy and technology.

The foundation said her participation reaffirmed its commitment to responsible leadership, women’s economic and governance power, and progress towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

The foundation said Davos 2026 marked a further step in its effort to frame ESG and global governance through women’s leadership and shared human responsibility.

READ MORE: Trump reminds Davos that talk still runs the world. The 2026 summit opened with President Trump’s freewheeling performance and a room full of uneasy allies. Andrew Horn argues that the Forum’s new “Spirit of Dialogue” theme is an operating system global markets must follow.

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_{Main image: Jing Zhao Cesarone with participants during a women’s leadership session at Davos 2026, where Global CSR Foundation discussions focused on ESG, women’s economic power, education and sustainable development. Credit: Global CSR Foundation.}