After yesterday’s day dedicated to welcoming guests, the work of the fifty-fourth edition of the Davos Forum. There are several expected interventions but there is also no shortage of “surprises”, starting with the closing with one dinner in the LGBTQI+ room. According to what was announced, the appointment will be reserved for rainbow leaders and will include, among others, Shamina Singh, head of the Center for Inclusive Growth at Mastercard, and the chief economist of Allianz, Ludovic Subran. An idea that is certainly in step with the times, but the contribution to the main themes of the summit will probably not be significant.
Great anticipation for the Ukrainian president’s arrival in Davos Volodymyr Zelensky. In clear difficulty in the war against Russia, Kiev’s number one met with NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg and several “important issues” were at the center of the meeting. Constantly seeking aid of any kind, from weapons to defense systems, Zelensky would have turned the spotlight on the need to further strengthen the country’s air defense system. Reflections also on the next Atlantic Alliance summit scheduled in Washington and on the work with partners on bilateral security agreements in the context of the G7 declaration.
Pay attention to cold war between the United States and China. According to what Politico reported, Washington is worried about China’s size. In Davos, the diplomatic delegation sent by Beijing worries the American one, so much so that they try to organize a meeting between Secretary of State Antony Blinken and a Swiss official on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum. In particular, Blinken is working to ensure that Switzerland – historically neutral – does not feel neglected and give in to Beijing’s courtship. Without forgetting the tensions over the Taiwan dossier. In a confidential document, the State Department has already defined it as a “pseudo state visit” and suggests that Blinken has at least a handshake with the new president of the Swiss Confederation, Viola Amherd, “who made herself completely available for a encounter”. However, there was no summit between Blinken and the Chinese delegation, reflecting the heated climate.
Evidently influenced by Greta Thunberg and green fundamentalism, Davos dedicated ample space to climate change and the tones are nothing short of dire. Climate change could in fact cause 14.5 million more deaths by 2050 according to a new report launched today at the World Economic Forum. The study highlights six main categories of climate-related events with negative effects on health: floods, droughts, heat waves, tropical storms, fires, sea level rise. A reflection also on the economic losses – perhaps the most important figure, given the location – which would amount to 12.5 trillion dollars worldwide by 2050. Nothing new on the horizon, but it is surprising that the line continues in Davos too Taliban with disastrous prophecies.