Davos Conferece Tackles Climate Change on Day One

by Milos Bezanov

Climate change issues took centre stage on the first day of the 2015 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

The forum, held annually, will last from the 21^st– 24^th January and focuses on the New Global Context, a theme also the subject of a UBS white paper focusing on environmental issues and resource scarcity, arguing that the changing role of the U.S. as a major energy provider is “shifting the balance of power..(away from producers and on to consumers)”.

Al Gore and Pharrell Williams, just one of few big names attending the conference, announced their Live Earth- Road to Paris 2015 concert, “the purpose of which is to have a billion voices with one message…to demand climate action now” says Al gore. Utilizing the world’s largest digital television network, created specifically for the event, “we are literally going to have humanity harmonised at once” explained Pharrell.

Over reliance on Fossil Fuels

Speaking to the audience at the World Economic Forum, Al Gore cited rising temperatures, of which fossil fuel burning is one of the main, but not the only cause, has triggered problems “for people, animals, plants and ecosystems”.

Storms, floods and natural disasters and forest fires with devastating environmental impact are exacerbated through rising temperatures as “this not only makes the ocean based storms stronger, it has several other consequences as well …evaporations from the ocean into the atmosphere also increases dramatically”.

There are also global, economic ramifications, as fires in Russia were shortly followed by suspension of grain supplies to the world market and a resulting price hike and food riots “intensifying the risks of conflict, hunger, of poverty and instability”

Business Leads Sustainable Change:

Renewable energy investment increases, over recent decades, have made the technology cost effective leading to a surpassing of renewable energy production targets “look at the predictions just 14 years ago about renewable energy… wind power would reach 30 Gigawatt by 2010…we beat that ten times over because business and innovators have brought down the cost of wind”Solar has accelerated even quicker “and we’re now seeing the deployment of solar electricity on the roofs of grass huts”, along with developed countries increasingly using the technology, “In Australia, on in every seven homes have PV rooftops…[Also]… “Germany..[gets] 35% of its energy from renewable”.

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