World Economic Forum opens with climate change and sustainability high on agenda
Founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum, Klaus Schwab, says sustainability, extreme weather events and economic cost of climate change will be central to the Forum this week in Davos
World Economic Forum opened in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday this week, and the 44th annual meeting will focus on climate change and sustainability.
Around 2,500 guests from nearly 100 countries will be represented and over 30 heads of state, 300 public figures and 1,500 business leaders, will attend the four-day event to debate and discuss how to progress sustainably.
The other key debates at the forum include what opportunities are being presented by new and innovative technologies, the challenge of making economic growth more equal and how humanity can adapt to rapidly rising global populations.
The forum’s founder and executive chairman Klaus Schwab (pictured) gave an opening speech on Tuesday, and urged attendees to keep “human values” in their thoughts throughout the discussions.
Climate change and environmental sustainability will be prominent at the Forum and a whole day will be dedicated to addressing the rising economic costs of climate change.
For the first time, the forum has also placed extreme weather events on its list of the biggest global risks for the year.
John Drzik, chairman of the Global Risk Centre at Marsh & McLennan Companies, added that the issue had risen to prominence because urbanising populations are growing in disaster prone areas, meaning the value of affected properties is increasing.
