Climate Change Focused on at World Forum

Climate Change Focused on at World Forum





    
 
January 2007  - U.S. Senator John 
McCain told the closing session of the World Economic Forum 
Sunday that he expects the U.S. Congress to take action on 
climate change very soon, and predicted that the Bush 
administration will follow suit. 
"I admit that it is very late, and it may not be enough," said 
McCain, "but I think that for the first time you are going to 
see some action on this compelling issue." 
The Annual Meeting closed on an "upbeat mood" with the 
co-chairs pledging on behalf of the 2,400 participants to use 
their positions of leadership to turn commitments on the top 
issues of climate change, global trade and globalization into 
action. 
Senator John McCain, an Arizona Republican, told the World 
Economic Forum closing plenary that the U.S. is ready to move 
on climate change. January 2007 (Photo by Remy Steinegger 
© World Economic Forum swiss-image.ch) 
McCain said he is still optimistic despite current world 
problems. "I still believe America’s best days are ahead of 
us," he told participants in Davos. 
British Prime Minister Tony Blair, too, sounded an optimistic 
note in his closing remarks. Blair said that the three key 
issues dominating the Annual Meeting in Davos – climate 
change, world trade, and Africa – still hang in the balance 
but said there had been progress on each that would have 
seemed unimaginable even a short time back. 
"What is really happening," Blair told the participants, "is 
that nations – even the most great – are realizing that they 
cannot pursue their narrow national interests without invoking 
broader global values." 
On climate change, Blair described the new American attitude 
as a "quantum shift." 
Controlled by Democrats and in office less than one month, the 
new Congress has already begun moving climage change 
legislation forward, and President George W. Bush, previously 
more concerned about oil supply than greenhouse gases, 
referred to the "serious challenge of global climate change" 
in his State of the Union message last week. 
Tony Blair, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, at the World 
Economic Forum in Davos. January 2007. (Photo by Remy 
Steinegger © World Economic Forum swiss-image.ch) 
Opening the Forum on January 2007 (Photo by Annette Boutellier 
courtesy WEF) 
After four brainstorming sessions dedicated to exploring the 
shifting power equation, the underlying theme of this year’s 
World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, climate change was voted 
the issue that will have the greatest impact in the coming 
years. 
Session panelist Scott Friedheim, co-chief administrative 
officer of the financial services firm Lehman Brothers, 
identified one business shift that climate change would cause. 
"There will be a move away from corporate social 
responsibility towards long term sustainability," he said. 
Annual Meeting participants broke into small groups to discuss 
which shift would have the greatest global impact in the 
coming years. They created a short list of important changes 
that are currently underway in business, technology, society 
and the global economy and then voted for the most important. 
Climate change was chosen as the shift most likely to affect 
the world in the future, narrowly beating the emergence of new 
markets in second place. 
"Climate change is one of the greatest challenges that we 
face," said World Economic Forum Managing Director Ged Davis. 
"We need to bring governments and non-state actors together to 
offer innovative solutions." 
The World Economic Forum is an independent international 
organization committed to improving the state of the world by 
engaging leaders in partnerships to shape global, regional and 
industry agendas. Incorporated as a foundation in 1971, and 
based in Geneva, Switzerland, the World Economic Forum is 
impartial and not-for-profit; it is tied to no political, 
partisan or national interests. Visit: www.weforum.org