The passion of 'Davos Man'
Plus, what to expect from COP31 in Turkey
In today’s edition:
— Now President Trump wants to strong arm Davos into abandoning its ‘woke’ agenda
— COP31 in Turkey marks the return of oil interests to the annual climate summit
— Despite lack of agreement on fossil fuels, COP30 boosts funding to countries hurt by climate change
— Relentless heat damages key tea and cardamom crops in India
— Taking the temperature a decade after the Paris Agreement
The World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland each January has always been about high-level business meetings; its popularity as much about global elitism as the snow-capped peaks of the Swiss Alps.
But it’s also managed to maintain a veneer as a venue to discuss social issues such as climate change, diversity, the ethics of genetic testing, world hunger, etc.
Team Trump wants to change that. The White House reportedly told the WEF last week that to get President Donald Trump to come next year the program would need to shed its woke exterior.
On the face of it, that would be easy enough. I’ve been to a half dozen meetings and the panel discussions and lectures have always been a sideshow. A place for academics, journalists and even some politicians to debate newsy issues while the business meetings are taking place behind closed doors at some of the swanky hotels in town.
But to wipe those topics, especially climate change, would instead hasten the summit’s demise by essentially admitting it’s not a place for leaders to debate issues at all. Just another exclusive junket for greedy millionaires (and billionaires).
Of course, the protests would still be there, but without a social mission the summit would be even more exposed for its naked greed. The so-called “Davos Man” has always been a globe-trotting deal maker, but the WEF has always enjoyed its status because it lends the credibility of social engagement to his (and her) driving ambitions.
The WEF was quick to point out that the summit valued its editorial independence and that a story in the Financial Times reporting the Trump team’s demands was never going to happen. But we’ve no doubt, given the administration’s bullying trade tactics, that it certainly would have demanded this.
We’ll see when the program for this year’s summit, dubbed “A Spirit of Dialogue” comes out in a few weeks. The WEF has suffered enough controversy in the past few years without losing its editorial freedom.
Rest assured, this would be just the first of Trump’s demands if accepted.
If you have ideas or suggestions for us, contact me directly at
dcallaway@callawayclimateinsights.com.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. We hope you have a wonderful holiday weekend, and we’ll be back in your inbox on Monday, Dec. 1.
Tuesday’s subscriber insights
Return of the oil fest: What to expect from COP31 in Turkey
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Callaway Climate Insights to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.