January 15 marked the start of the 2024 edition of theWorld Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos. It is a premier event where the world’s economic and political elite converge for crucial discussions. With over 2,800 participants expected, including more than 60 heads of state and government, this week in Davos is shaping up to be a major event of the year, bringing together eminent figures from a wide range of sectors.
Over 800 business leaders, including oil tycoons, representatives of international organizations and central bankers, will join the elite of the global political scene. Emblematic figures such as Christine Lagarde, President of the European Central Bank, French President Emmanuel MacronUrsula Von Der Leyen, President of the European Commission, Chinese Premier Li Qiang, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who this year made the trip in person, will all contribute to making Davos the essential meeting place for the world’s decision-makers.
Under the ambitious theme of « Rebuilding trust »The forum will focus on issues such as climate change, geopolitical issues such as tensions between the USA and China over Taiwan, artificial intelligence and environmental challenges. This edition thus offers a decisive platform for collaboration and reflection on the future of our planet, and places global challenges at the center of attention.
Environmental Risks: A Short- and Medium-Term Perspective
La moitié of the most serious risks over the next decade are environmental in origin:environnementale An in-depth study carried out by the World Economic Forum has highlighted a significant shift in the perception of global economic risks, with greater emphasis on environmental threats. The consultation, which included experts, scientists, representatives of civil society, as well as political and economic leaders, suggests that these environmental risks could reach a critical threshold within the next decade.
This general awareness echoes the findings ofAxa’s Future Risk Report, published in October 2023, which had already set climate risks as the main concern on a global scale. In the short term, extreme weather events such as floods, storms and droughts are emerging as major threats, endangering populations, infrastructures and human activities, while pollution is identified as one of the most immediate and significant risks.
In the medium term, the report highlights global systemic change, in particular the biodiversity crisis, as a major catalyst for global destabilization. Experts also point to anticipated shortages of natural resources, particularly for global supply chains dependent on critical resources. Overall, this in-depth analysis by the Davos Forum reveals that four of the five most severe risks for the next decade are environmental in origin.
Call for concerted global action
This increased recognition underlines the imperative of rapid, concerted action in the face of these major global challenges. The report calls for strategic thinking and global mobilization to meet these crucial environmental challenges and ensure the long-term sustainability of our planet.
Of the 1,400 experts surveyed worldwide, two-thirds expressed concern about extreme weather events in 2024. The report highlights the lack of global cooperation on pressing issues such as climate change, calling for a reassessment of measures taken and increased investment in areas such as climate modeling and green technologies.
WEF founder Klaus Schwab, calls on delegates to strengthen cooperation in a fragmented world. Following the historic agreements reached at COP28 in December, with its emphasis on renewable energies and the abandonment of fossil fuels, the WEF is emphasizing the need to turn these commitments into reality. The fight against climate change is seen as a way for executives to demonstrate responsible leadership.
The fight against climate change is seen as a way for executives to demonstrate responsible leadership.
Recent years have been marked by major disruptions in energy supply and security. On the second day of the WEF, European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen highlighted the forum’s ability to inspire a collective response from businesses and nations, demonstrating its capacity to encourage concerted collaboration.
The President’s Special Envoy for Climate Change, John Kerry, reiterated at COP28 and at the Road Ahead conference that the private sector would play a crucial role in efforts linked to energy efficiency and other aspects of the environmental challenge. He described the changes underway as an « economic revolution ».
The session on transforming energy demand emphasized the importance of improving energy efficiency, a point supported by Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the IEA, who highlighted the many benefits of this approach, from reducing costs to improving energy security.
These initiatives are part of a global effort to combat climate change.. During the sessions on Tuesday January 16, the WEF analyzed the link between climate change and health, highlighted in a new report, as well as the role of technology in decarbonizing complex industries..
WEF strategies for a sustainable future
Despite these initiatives and the prestige associated with the World Economic Forum, Davos remains under fire from climate activists, who see the WEF elite as complacent in the face of the climate crisis. Greta Thunberg expressed scepticism last year about listening to the main players in planetary destruction rather than those on the front line of the climate emergency. It is also condemned for the environmental impact of its flagship event. In 2022, Greenpeace highlighted the use of 1,040 private jets at the forum, emitting between 5 and 14 times more carbon per passenger than commercial flights.
For example, the WEF is considering a strategy to protect nature and combat climate change, as well as concrete plans to achievecarbon neutrality by 2050, in line with this year’s theme. Davos will be the venue for discussions on how to develop this long-term plan while ensuring affordable, safe and inclusive access to energy, food and water. Energy transition, one of the six main themes at Davos, will be a key issue. The International Energy Agency is observing a rapid increase in the deployment of renewable energies and .growing confidence in environmental innovation worldwide.
Davos, despite its critics, offers an essential platform for catalyzing reflection and collaboration, calling for global mobilization in the face of the crucial challenges shaping our common future.
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