23 must-read stories for the weekend

The circular economy could be worth $4.5 trillion by 2030. Is this the biggest economic revolution in 250 years?

With demand set to exceed supply by 40%, it’s time for businesses to get serious about water scarcity.

China’s new Silk Road will connect 40 countries and cost $8 trillion.Could it also re-energize global trade?

Links with pressing socioeconomic issues explain why the world is ready to tackle climate change, argues Gro Harlem Brundtland.

Office cubicles could be killing your organization’s productivity. Beanbags could predominate in the free-form office of the future.

Should you be drinking bottled water?

Basic education is fundamental to global health and wealth. Which is why we need 12 school years for every child.

The more we learn about climate change, the riskier it looks.

Meeting climate targets demands decarbonization. That might not be as painful as it sounds.

How achievable are the Sustainable Development Goals? They look like stretch targets for the globe.

Chinese manufacturers are struggling to recruit workers.

Global demographics could spell the end of the deflationary super-cycle and zero interest rates.

Does copper provide a clue to China’s growth conundrum? Some analysts suggest dividing the copper price by 1,000 to find the real strength of the Chinese economy.

How Japanese is salmon sushi? Not very. It’s a globalization supply chain miracle, cooked up not in Tokyo but in Oslo.

Understanding the impact of immigration on labour markets. Not everyone wins out, a new Harvard study makes clear.

Will artificial intelligence leave us behind? Fear not. Quantum mechanics and the scientific underpinnings of modern life are already beyond most of us. But we’ve learned to live with it.

Would you have a robot on your board of directors? Cites a new Forum report, Technological Tipping Points and Societal Impact. (BBC)

China: committed to reform. That was the message from the Chinese Premier at our meeting in Dalian. (Bloomberg)

This Global Shaper makes robots that bring natural light into your home. She’s one of two female tech entrepreneurs chosen for the Qualcomm Robotics Accelerator award. (Huffington Post)

Six ideas for creating happy and united teams. From members of the Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Values. (Harvard Business Review)

Do you know a person or company leading the way in sustainability? The Young Global Leaders want to hear about them. (Fortune)

Water shortage is a top global risk. The Forum’s Dominic Waughray and Fred Boltz of the Rockefeller Foundation ask what can be done to avert it. (Guardian)

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

Image: A woman walks past trees reflected on a lake in front of a construction site of a residential compound on a hazy day in Wuhan, Hubei province March 6, 2015. REUTERS/Stringer