기본 콘텐츠로 건너뛰기

5 ways to get the climate back on track, according to experts at Davos

 

5 ways to get the climate back on track, according to experts at Davos



"The world releases 175 million tonnes of greenhouse gases daily into the atmosphere," according to former US Vice-President Al Gore.

The accumulated amount now traps as much extra heat as would be released by 750,000 first-generation atomic bombs exploding every day on the Earth.

"That's insane for us to allow that to continue," Gore explained in his introductory presentation to a session at the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting 2025.

Human-induced climate change has fuelled disasters which have inflicted over $3.6 trillion in damage since 2000, according to a Forum report.

Businesses that fail to adapt to these physical climate risks could lose up to 7% of annual earnings by 2035.

Leaders are waking up to the scale of this problem. Out of the world's plethora of interconnected issues, respondents of the Forum's 2025 Global Risks Perception Survey ranked environmental concerns as the top four long-term risks.

Global risks ranked by severity and divided into short and long term risks.
Environmental concerns dominate the long-term risk rankings.Image: World Economic Forum, Global Risks Perception Survey 2024-2025

Tackling these environmental issues was the focus of an expert panel session – State of Climate and Nature – in Davos.

On the panel were Al Gore, Chairman, Generation Investment Management; Gim Huay Neo, Managing Director, World Economic Forum; Muhammad Yunus, Chief Adviser, Bangladesh Government; Katherine Gao Haichun, Co-Chair, Trina Solar; Pedro Sánchez, Prime Minister of Spain; Andrew Forrest, Executive Chairman and Founder, Fortescue; and Salil S. Parekh, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Infosys Limited.

Here are some solutions and ideas put forward during the session.

1. Harnessing AI and data

"You can only manage what you measure", Gore pointed out.

"That's the reason why we formed Climate Trace, which now measures exactly where all of the global warming pollution is coming from."

The platform "receives data constantly from 300 satellites and 30,000 ground-truthing data sources," covering "the specific source sites for 660 million global warming pollution sites in the world".

Machine learning algorithms then analyze the current patterns, what they might evolve to and how solutions can be developed.

There are many other applications for AI, however, as Haichun highlighted: "We need to use more AI in order to balance out fluctuating energy supply and demand in the grid".

2. Improving energy system infrastructure

The energy transition isn't just about installing "as many solar panels or as many wind turbines as possible. It's a transition of the entire system," according to Haichun.

We know that in every revolution, the foundation must be a revolution in the infrastructure. So infrastructure is really the key for implementing more renewable energies.

 Katherine Gao Haichun, Co-Chair, Trina Solar

Investing in the producers of renewable energy alone only scratches the surface of the solution, Haichun added: "We need a more intelligent grid. We need a more decentralized grid. We need a more steady grid in order for all that renewable energy to be consumed. We need more energy storage to make renewable energy more stable and more reliable."

3. Setting hard, short-term deadlines

Last year's COPs and other climate meetings have shown the world that many countries are currently not on track to meet their climate targets.

Forrest shared how his company approaches meeting deadlines: "When you've indicated to a workforce, in our case, 25,000 people, that you're going to stop burning fossil fuel by the end of this decade, the workforce gets very interested".

"When they ask you, how are you going to do that? You say you're going to resolve it. You work out how to do it. You work out how to pull all the carbon out of our trains, out of our trucks. You work out how to pull it out of our fixed plant."

Adding a shorter timeline on each target is very important, Forrest added: "It's not 2050. Who's going to be around in 2050 making decisions here? We say it's going to be in your career. So we put in 2030. And then of course the leaders are saying, what happens if we don't? We'll say, that's simple. At the end of 2028, a full year or two before the deadline, we're going to come through the operation centres, ask to see the energy flow part of the control panels and if any of it's connected to fossil fuel, we switch off that operational plant. Literally, send that plant and the workforce black".

This instils greater confidence and agility in the workforce:

Instead of being met with despair and unionism that was met with triumph and challenge. We're saying to our workforce: you can do this.

 Andrew Forrest, Executive Chairman and Founder, Fortescue

4. Inspiration is more powerful than leadership

Haichun shared her motivation for her career in the green energy industry: "I was inspired by former Vice-President Gore when I was 13 years old, and when I was 15 years old, I started working at a nonprofit organization in China focusing on education about climate change for the younger generation".

"And I am inspired each year that I come to Davos and hear so many people talking about energy transition and see them devoting themselves to the energy transition, then I feel more powerful than ever and go back to my own work."

Being "commanded to do something" often results in lower motivation, Haichun argues, but "when people really are touched, they truly devote themselves to whatever they believe in".

Inspiration is the key to the green transformation.

 Katherine Gao Haichun, Co-Chair, Trina Solar

5. 'Net-zero' is an excuse to emit

"That word 'net' gives you an out-clause to do nothing," Forrest declared.

Forrest's organization, the mining giant Fortescue, has committed to eliminating fossil fuels from its operations by 2030 without using voluntary carbon offsets.

"We're not relying on carbon offsets or carbon credits ... 95% [of carbon credits] are going to be found to not give the carbon benefits they were purchased for."

We're not relying on any of that. We're just stopping burning fossil fuels. Addressing the elephant in the room.

 Andrew Forrest, Executive Chairman and Founder, Fortescue

Carbon credits have faced scrutiny for a number of years now and COP29 established a global architecture for carbon markets, but many people remain unconvinced.

Despite all of the challenges the world faces, Gore expressed optimism in his closing comment as he quoted the late economist Rudi Dornbusch: "Things take longer to happen than you think they will, but then they happen faster than you thought they could".

You can watch the full session below.

댓글

이 블로그의 인기 게시물

Non-contact exposure to dinotefuran disrupts honey bee homing by altering MagR and Cry2 gene expression

  Non-contact exposure to dinotefuran disrupts honey bee homing by altering  MagR  and  Cry2  gene expression Dinotefuran is known to negatively affect honeybee ( Apis mellifera ) behavior, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. The magnetoreceptor ( MagR , which responds to magnetic fields) and cryptochrome ( Cry2 , which is sensitive to light) genes are considered to play important roles in honey bees’ homing and localization behaviors. Our study found that dinotefuran, even without direct contact, can act like a magnet, significantly altering  MagR  expression in honeybees. This non-contact exposure reduced the bees’ homing rate. In further experiments, we exposed foragers to light and magnetic fields, the  MagR  gene responded to magnetic fields only in the presence of light, with  Cry 2 playing a key switching role in the magnetic field receptor mechanism ( MagR–Cry2 ). Yeast two-hybrid and BiFc assays confirmed an interactio...

New Report – Interlocked: Midwives and the Climate Crisis

New Report – Interlocked: Midwives and the Climate Crisis Earlier this year, midwives from 41 countries shared their experiences of working in communities affected by climate change through our survey, Midwives’ Experiences and Perspectives on Climate Change. Their voices shaped our new report, Interlocked: Midwives and the Climate Crisis , which highlights how midwives are already responding to the health impacts of climate disasters like floods, wildfires, and extreme heat—and why they must be included in climate action plans. What did we learn?Climate change is damaging community health: 75% of midwives reported that climate change is harming the communities they serve, with rising rates of preterm births, food insecurity, and restricted access to care during disasters like floods. Midwives are critical first responders: Midwives are often the first and only healthcare providers on the ground in crises, delivering care during wildfires, floods, and extreme heat. Midwives face signi...

Bee attack claims life of newspaper distributor

  Bee attack claims life of newspaper distributor Newspaper distributor Pushparaja Shetty (45), who sustained severe injuries in a bee attack, succumbed to his injuries on Thursday at a hospital in Mangaluru. Pushparaja was attacked by a swarm of bees on Wednesday morning while walking at Kenjaru Taangadi under Bajpe town panchayat limits. He was immediately admitted to a hospital for treatment but could not survive the ordeal. Fondly known as ‘Boggu’ in the Porkodi area, Pushparaja was well-known for his dedication to delivering newspapers on foot to every household. He was admired for his generosity, as he often distributed sweets to schoolchildren on Independence Day using his own earnings and contributed part of his income to the betterment of society. Pushparaja was unmarried and is survived by three brothers and one sister.

“Global honey crisis”: Testing technology and local sourcing soars amid fraud and tampering concerns

  “Global honey crisis”: Testing technology and local sourcing soars amid fraud and tampering concerns The World Beekeeping Awards will not grant a prize for honey next year due to the “inability” to thoroughly test honey for adulteration. The announcement comes amid the rise of honey fraud in the EU, where a 2023 investigation found that 46% of 147 honey samples tested were likely contaminated with low-cost plant syrups.  Apimondia, the International Federation of Beekeepers’ Associations, organizes the event at its Congress, whose 49th edition will be held in Copenhagen, Denmark, in September 2025. The conference brings together beekeepers, scientists and other stakeholders. “We will celebrate honey in many ways at the Congress, but honey will no longer be a category, and thus, there will be no honey judging in the World Beekeeping Awards. The lessons learned from Canada 2019 and Chile 2023 were that adequate testing was impossible if we are to award winning honey at the Con...

Unveiling the Canopy's Secrets: New Bee Species Discovered in the Pacific

  Unveiling the Canopy's Secrets: New Bee Species Discovered in the Pacific In an exciting development for environmentalists and beekeeping experts, researchers have discovered eight new species of masked bees in the Pacific Islands, shining a light on the rich biodiversity hidden within the forest canopy. This discovery underscores the critical role bees play in our ecosystems and the pressing need for conservation efforts to protect these vital pollinators. A New Frontier in Bee Research By exploring the forest canopy, scientists have opened a new frontier in bee research, revealing species that have adapted to life high above the ground. These discoveries are crucial for understanding the complex relationships between bees, flora, and the broader ecosystem. The new species of masked bees, characterized by their striking black bodies with yellow or white highlights, particularly on their faces, rely exclusively on the forest canopy for survival. The Importance of Bee Conservation...

Start the New Year Humming Like a Bee

  Start the New Year Humming Like a Bee There are lots of opportunities to be as busy as a bee during these winter holidays. As we hustle toward the dawn of the New Year, it can be hard to notice that the natural world is actually suggesting something different for us right now. We’re past the solstice, but the winter still stretches ahead, the days are still short and the nights long. We’re being invited into a quieter, more inner-focused time. The ancient yogis were all about this inner focus. In India, for example, the Upanishads, the Sanskrit writings that accompanied the development of Hinduism — and alongside it, yoga — beginning around 800 B.C.E., went deeper than earlier texts had into philosophy and questions of being. With the goals of increased inner awareness and higher consciousness, yoga was at that time not yet as focused on the body or on asanas, as it now can tend to be. But the yogis did develop many practices to try to open the way to those goals. They discovered...

The Essential Role of Bees in Our Ecosystem and the Challenges They Face

The Essential Role of Bees in Our Ecosystem and the Challenges They Face Bees have been an integral part of our ecosystem and human agriculture for over four centuries, primarily utilized for their honey in the early days. Now, they are recognized more for their critical role in pollination, which directly impacts a vast majority of the food we consume. Mark Lilly, a prominent beekeeper, emphasizes that without bees' pollination efforts, a significant portion of our diet would be at risk. However, bees face numerous threats, including varroa mites and, in specific regions like West Virginia, black bears. These challenges necessitate concerted efforts for preservation and protection. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Q1: Why are bees so important to the ecosystem? A1: Bees are crucial for pollinating plants, which is necessary for the production of fruits, vegetables, and nuts. Without bees, a large portion of the food we eat would not be available. Q2: What are the main threats to...

The Growing Dilemma of Pet Burials in South Korea: Environmental and Legal Hurdles

The Growing Dilemma of Pet Burials in South Korea: Environmental and Legal Hurdles As the number of pets in South Korea steadily increases, pet owners face a growing dilemma due to the limited number of pet cemeteries across the country. Under the current legal framework, pet remains are classified as household waste, requiring specific disposal methods that are neither convenient nor easily accessible for all citizens. The imbalance between the rising pet population—over 5.52 million households with pets by the end of 2022—and the mere 70 registered pet cemeteries has led to significant challenges. This shortage is particularly evident in regions like Jeju Island, where pet owners must undergo arduous journeys to the mainland to ensure their pets receive proper burials. The root cause of this shortage lies in the strict regulations governing the establishment of pet cemeteries. These facilities, which must include crematoriums, face numerous restrictions, such as proximity to resident...

Climate Crisis Claims Glacier's Vital Climate Data Archive

  Climate Crisis Claims Glacier's Vital Climate Data Archive A recent study published in Nature Geoscience reveals a distressing consequence of global warming: the irreversible loss of valuable climate data stored in alpine glaciers. The research, conducted by a team led by Margit Schwikowski from the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), underscores the alarming rate at which glaciers are melting and highlights the implications for climate research. The study focuses on the Corbassière glacier at Grand Combin in Switzerland, where ice cores drilled in 2018 and 2020 were intended to serve as vital climate archives. However, comparing the two sets of ice cores reveals a grim reality—global warming has rendered the glacier unsuitable as a reliable climate archive. Glaciers, renowned as climate archives, encapsulate valuable information about past climatic conditions and atmospheric compositions. The fluctuating concentrations of trace substances in ice layers provide insights into historica...

German election: Climate and environment take a back seat

  German election: Climate and environment take a back seat When the coalition government comprising the center-left  Social Democratic Party (SPD) ,  Greens  and neoliberal  Free Democratic Party (FDP)  emerged after the last German federal election in the fall of 2021, then-incoming Chancellor  Olaf Scholz  (SPD) did not object to being called the "climate chancellor." That was no surprise: the climate crisis had been a top issue during the election campaign. The new government made the fight against climate change a task for the Economy Ministry and appointed Vice Chancellor  Robert Habeck  from the Greens as its head. Three and a half years later, campaign speeches barely mention climate protection. The dominant issues are how to curb irregular immigration and how to boost Germany's sluggish economy. Skeptical view of renewable energy The head of the center-right  Christian Democratic Union (CDU) ,  Friedrich Merz ...