Daily Davos: Climate, development and ambition

Here is your daily digest of news from, and about, the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting 2015.

On the agenda

2015 is the year for action on climate and development, two sides of the same coin.

That was the message of President François Hollande, who also spoke powerfully against violence and extremism, a message echoed by US Secretary of State John Kerry.

Is the brain the key to health and happiness or the last medical frontier? Is lifestyle the source of our ills?

Big ambitions: Jack Ma wants Alibaba to serve 2 billion people; will.i.am says: “Saying the sky is the limit is limiting”; Bill and Melinda Gates want to eradicate poverty completely; and Hans Rosling thinks optimism is warranted.

Davos in the news

Central banks can’t solve all the world’s “wicked problems”. (The Telegraph)

The World Economic Forum is now formally recognized as an international institution for public-private cooperation. (NZZ [German])

Job creation, not redistribution, is the answer to inequality. (Guardian)

Launched at Davos: a powerful virtual reality film about a Syrian refugee girl (TechCrunch) and a new #HeforShe gender equality campaign. (The Independent)

Huawei founder’s modest bearing and background. (FT)

The youngest Davos participant is bullish on Russia. (Fortune)

Your pre-reading for Saturday

Can science solve global problems and improve your life? Read our Nobel Laureate interview series. Then watch The Global Science Outlook at 09.15am CET.

“We need new allies in the fight for gender equality,” writes Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director of UN Women. She’ll be discussing how the next Millennium Development Goals can help women in Ending Poverty through Parity at 11am.

From currency wars to secular stagnation, catch up on 15 key insights from economic leaders at Davos, ahead of The Global Economic Outlook at 2pm.

“Coming out made me a better leader,” says EY Executive Beth Brooke-Marciniak. See her explain the business case for inclusiveness in The Diversity Dividend at 3.30pm.

Inequality, innovation, climate change. Read our series of articles from the Co-Chairs of Davos 2015, then watch them discuss the year’s top themes in The Global Agenda 2015 at 4.45pm.

To receive our daily newsletter during the Annual Meeting 2015, subscribe here.

Author: Adrian Monck is Managing Director and head of Public Engagement at the World Economic Forum.

Image: Participants are seen at the sign up desk of the upcoming Annual Meeting 2015 of the World Economic Forum at the congress centre in Davos, January 20, 2015. WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM/swiss-image.ch/Photo Valeriano DiDomenico