Highlights From Davos
The 53rd World Economic Forum opened in Davos, Switzerland, on 16 January. The 2023 theme: Cooperation in a Fragmented World.
The week-long agenda touched on solutions and public-private cooperation. World leaders were encouraged to work together on the interconnected issues of energy, climate and nature; investment, trade and infrastructure; frontier technologies and industry resilience; jobs, skills, social mobility and health; and geopolitical cooperation in a multipolar world.
For our Enactus network that is committed to using business for positive social and environmental change, the Davos agenda offers insight for how to forge a path forward.
Youth at Davos
- 5 calls-t0-action from youth and young people at Davos 2023
- Twenty-six youth delegates at this year’s Annual Meeting focused on nature and climate education, advocacy, innovation and entrepreneurship to safeguard the planet. Under the theme “Cooperation in a Fragmented World”, the Annual Meeting brought together a delegation of 26 nature and climate youth leaders, including young people involved in the Global Shapers Community, 1t.org, #GenerationRestoration Youth Challenge and UpLink. Enactus Morocco Alumnus Mohamed El Moutaouakil is a Global Shaper and one of the 26 youth delegates at the World Economic Forum. Read more about him in the Enactus Alumnus at Davos section on this page.
- Fifty young leaders, the Global Shapers, attended the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos. In 2020, Global Shapers published the world’s first youth-driven pandemic recovery plan. Between 2021–2022, Global Shapers volunteered through their local hubs to execute projects that directly supported nearly 200,000 people and raised awareness of critical global and local issues among one million people worldwide.
- Through collective action, young leaders can build a better world. As the World Economic Forum convened its 53rd Annual Meeting, and at this critical juncture for the world, WEF asked 11 YGLs how leaders can work together for collective action, to drive positive, inclusive systems change.
Youth Sessions
Open Forum: Protecting the Climate Vulnerable
Recorded Tuesday 17 January 12:30-13:30 CET
Listen to the voices of our global youths on what leaders must do to promote justice and provide support to communities most affected by the climate crisis.
Open Forum: Propelling Planetary Prosperity
Recorded Tuesday 17 January, 18:30-19:30 CET
How are youth harnessing their creative potential to innovate for the prosperity of the planet?
Youth Agency Over Earth’s Future
Recorded Thursday 19 January: 09:00 – 09:45 CET
How are young people around world taking up the mantle of
climate leadership, from advocacy and education to entrepreneurship and
innovation?
Youth Calls to Action
Recorded Friday 20 January, 10:15-11:00 CET
As the Annual Meeting 2023 comes to a close, what is the call to action by youth for individuals, organizations and governments to accelerate solutions for the world’s most pressing global challenges?
Enactus Alumnus at Davos
Enactus Morocco Alumnus Mohamed El Moutaouakil was at Davos for the World Economic Forum. Moutaouakil is a graduate of Faculté des sciences Ain Chock, where he was a team leader in 2016. He was mentioned in The World Economic Forum article These young leaders are driving action on nature
and climate. Moutaouakil is the only Global Shaper representing North African Youth at Davos. The 2023 WEF theme of Cooperation in a Fragmented World aligns with his interest of being an ecosystem builder and food security activist.
Mohamed El Moutaouakil is a social entrepreneur and data analyst. He is the Founder and CEO of International Food Development Corporate, a start-up that offers training and mentoring to disadvantaged communities in food and beverage production in Morocco. Moutaouakil also leads GoMENA, a project that aims to train 1,500 individuals and incubate and fund 30 tech start-ups in its first five years.
Did you attend the World Economic Forum? Share your experience in the comments.
24 Sessions Worth Watching
With over 200 sessions offered, it would be nearly impossible to watch them all. Enactus has narrowed the selection to what we think would be most relevant to our network. The full Davos program is available here.
Open Forum: In Harmony with Nature
Recorded January 16, 2023 18:30–19:30CET
Climate change is an undeniable reality. Current lifestyles and organisational practices need to change if we hope to restore the health of the planet and protect the well being of current and future generations. How do we mobilize action towards climate positive lifestyles?
Open Forum: Sustainably Served
Recorded January 17, 2023 09:30–10:30CET
Nearly 830 million people face food insecurity and more than 3 billion are unable to afford a healthy diet. Challenges to human and planetary health have been further compounded by rising costs, supply chain disruptions and climate change. How can we strengthen the connections between food-nature-health for more affordable, healthy and sustainable diets?
Quiet Quitting and the Meaning of Work
Recorded January 17, 2023 08:30–09:15CET
From quiet quitting to the great resignation, what are the symptoms of a changing relationship between workers and employers and how are businesses managing this transition?
Preparing 1 Billion People for Tomorrow’s Economy
Recorded January 17, 2023 09:45–10:30CET
With 1 billion jobs liable to be radically transformed by technology in the next decade, what critical interventions are needed to provide better skills, jobs and education for 1 billion people by 2030? This session is directly linked to the ongoing Reskilling Revolution initiative of the World Economic Forum.
End Plastic Pollution: Multilateral Cooperation at its Best
Recorded January 17, 2023 13:00–13:45CET
Every minute, one garbage truck of plastic waste is dumped into the ocean. The UN Treaty on Plastic Pollution seeks to create a legally binding treaty to end such pollution on a global scale, in the most significant multilateral environment deal since the Paris Agreement. From production to design to disposal, what actions are needed by all sectors to ensure an ambitious agreement? This session is directly linked to the ongoing Global Plastic Action Partnership of the World Economic Forum.
Attracting Talent
Recorded January 17, 2023 13:00–13:45CET
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound effect on labour markets, with millions of workers leaving their jobs and employers facing labour shortages. How should employers adapt to attract the best talent?
Power of the Collective – 2023 Social Innovation Awards
Recorded January 17, 2023 16:15–17:00CET
For 25 years, the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship has recognized and supported the world’s leading social innovators for their collective efforts in creating a just, equitable and sustainable world for all. Watch the 2023 Schwab Foundation Social Innovation Awards ceremony to celebrate this year’s 16 outstanding changemakers.
Press Conference: The Future of Jobs
Recorded January 17, 2023 17:15–17:45CET
Technological disruption, economic and political crises, and the green transition will require millions of people to re-invent their livelihoods and build the skills needed in the labour markets of tomorrow. Hear from leaders at the forefront of these developments on how we can put people first and place human capital investment at the heart of the global recovery.
The Interplay of Food, Energy and Water
Recorded January 17, 2023 17:30–18:15CET
While the world is facing a global energy crisis, an estimated 2.3 billion people lack access to adequate food and the global inflation rate is estimated to rise to 7.5% by the end of 2022. This is exacerbated by a looming water crisis, with droughts and floods further threatening food production and human health. What are the critical vulnerabilities and how can leaders provide targeted interventions through the food-energy-water nexus? This session was developed in collaboration with The New York Times.
The Jobs and Skills of a Green Transition
Recorded January 17, 2023 17:30–18:15CET
Moving towards a low-emission economy will require the creation of millions of “green” jobs. Who will create these jobs and how to ensure workers have the right skills to transition into them?
Stewarding Responsible Capitalism
Recorded January 18, 2023 09:00–09:45CET
With environmental, stakeholder, economic and geopolitical pressures on the mind of leaders around the world, the legitimacy of the sustainability reporting systems is being challenged politically in some jurisdictions, while others are pushing ahead with ambitious efforts that will leave key stakeholders behind. How can multinational companies continue to drive the global effort toward responsible capitalism, particularly through building their own sustainable value chains and providing capital markets with consistent, transparent and comparable information?
The Future of Jobs
Recorded January 18, 2023 09:00–09:45CET
What impact will the green transition, technological advances, demographics and reorganized value chains have on labour markets globally in the next five years?
How to Prevent Lost Learning
Recorded January 18, 2023 11:30–12:15CET
More than 65% of countries have cut education budgets in the wake of competing priorities from the health, economic and energy crises, undermining prospects for growth and dimming the chances of reaching the Sustainable Development Goal for education by 2030. From new funding models to reimagining physical learning spaces, what bold and innovative steps can business and government take to turn the education crisis into opportunity?
Moving Towards Nutrition Security
Recorded January 18, 2023 11:30–12:15CET
Over time one major food crisis has almost been solved – most people around the world now have access to food for a low cost. How will the next phase of the food security challenge, ensuring that people also get nutrition, be solved?
Leading the Charge through Earth’s New Normal
Recorded January 18, 2023 14:00–15:00CET
The world is undergoing interacting crises in food, energy, health and nature that are threatening our way of life and accelerating us towards a global catastrophe. What visionary leadership is needed for systems thinking, transformative solutions and global collaboration to build a more inclusive, prosperous and sustainable future?
Innovators for Social Fairness
Recorded January 18, 2023 15:00–15:45CET
Inequities cost the global economy trillions of dollars each year, materially affecting government spending, business continuity and people’s lives and livelihoods. What are the most promising opportunities to advance health equity and increase social fairness by focusing on scaling community innovations that work?
Profit and Purpose: Accelerating Equity of Opportunity
Recorded January 18, 2023 17:30–18:15CET
Against a backdrop of persistent inequality, the new generation includes a growing number of people demanding more of companies, looking for them to play an active and constructive role in creating societies that are more just and inclusive. How can business balance its immediate duty to shareholders with long-term contributions to equity of opportunity?
Enabling an Equitable Transition
Recorded January 19, 2023 09:00–09:45CET
Climate action holds the risk of stranding people and assets – as well as the promise of new jobs and economic opportunities. How can we embed equity and justice in the transition to greener economies?
Press Conference: Trailblazing entrepreneurs tackling the world’s biggest problems
January 19, 2023 10:45–11:15CET
Join this press conference to hear about how the private sector, governments and other organisations are joining UpLink’s mission to source and scale the innovative start-ups that will accelerate progress on the global sustainability goals. These include new partnerships that will strengthen sustainable forestry, youth education and food security.
Press Conference: New Frontiers for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Recorded January 19, 2023 15:00–15:30CET
Recent years have seen significant new momentum from the private and public sector to create more equitable and inclusive organizations and economies, with a growing number of efforts showing positive impact. To accelerate this momentum, there is a need for greater clarity on the initiatives that work. This press conference will share insights on impact achieved by initiatives of the World Economic Forum’s Centre for the New Economy and Society and its partners that are accelerating Diversity, Equity and Inclusion outcomes within organizations and beyond. Find out more about the impact achieved here: https://www.globalparityalliance.org/
Water: The Bloodstream of our Earth System
Recorded January 19, 2023 16:15–17:00CET
Whether too much, too little or too polluted, climate change and human activity are impacting our water supply. A more disrupted and less predictable water cycle is aggravating climate change and its impact on humans as well as our food, energy and industrial systems. What are the enabling governance, finance, infrastructure and innovations required to safeguard and restore our freshwater systems? This session was developed in collaboration with The National. This session is directly linked to the ongoing Global Water Initiative of the World Economic Forum.
Doubling Down on Science
Recorded January 20, 2023 09:00–09:45CET
From a breakthrough in nuclear energy fusion to the discovery of exotic particles using the particle accelerator, finding solutions to the world’s biggest challenges requires collaboration across borders, cultures and disciplines. What approaches hold the greatest promise for effective science collaboration?
Start-Ups in Austerity
Recorded January 20, 2023 10:15–11:00CET
The geopolitical tensions, inflation and supply disruptions impacting start-ups worldwide are resulting in a lack of free-flowing capital, while market sentiment is shifting from a growth-at-all-costs mentality to a profitability and sustainable business model. What’s the new formula for calculating the valuation of a start-up and how can the overall ecosystem ensure that start-ups embody a stakeholder mindset?
Closing Remarks: The Road Ahead
Recorded January 20, 2023 12:00–12:15CET
Børge Brende, President, World Economic Forum Geneva.
