These are the top impacts from The Davos Agenda
- Here are 11 of the top impacts from the Forum and its Partners, announced during The Davos Agenda.
- They include initiatives to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, accelerate racial justice and reduce carbon emissions.
The World Economic Forum's January meetings are at their heart working meetings focused on action. They bring together leaders from governments, businesses and civil society to collaborate on solutions to the most pressing issues of the day.
This year's virtual The Davos Agenda was no exception. Here are 11 of the multistakeholder initiatives featured and developed during the discussions.
Find more impact from the Forum and our partners here.
Responding to the COVID-19 pandemic
Through the COVID Action Platform, the Forum and its Partners have launched more than 40 initiatives in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
For example, the Partnership for Evidence-Based Response to COVID-19 collects social, economic, epidemiological, population movement and security data from 20 African Union Member States to produce country-level recommendations to help determine the effectiveness of public health and social measures for COVID-19.
Read the impact story here.
Bringing racial justice to the workplace
The Partnering for Racial Justice in Business initiative brings together 48 companies to set new global standards for racial and ethnic justice in business. The companies represent 13 industries with more than 5.5 million employees worldwide.
The initiative will operationalize and coordinate commitments to eradicate racism in the workplace and provide a platform for businesses to collectively advocate for inclusive policy change.
Read the impact story here
Using blockchain to track and reduce emissions
A new effort uses distributed ledger technology to trace emissions across the value chain in the mining and metals industry.
Called the COT, a Carbon Tracing Platform, the platform is the work of the World Economic Forum's Mining and Metals Blockchain Initiative, which was created to accelerate an industry solution for supply chain visibility and environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) requirements.
Read the impact story here.
Fostering a multi-generational inclusive workforce
As people live and work longer than ever before, how can companies foster a multi-generational, inclusive workforce? A new Forum initiative aims to help companies do just that.
Fifty global companies representing more than two million employees and $1 trillion in annual revenue have come together with the Forum, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and AARP to create the Living Learning and Earning Longer initiative. The initiative curates a digital platform that employers can use to find case studies, statistics and research on the advantages of a multi-generational workforce.
Read the impact story here.
Improving physical and mental health in cities
City living can take a toll on people's physical and mental health: Non-communicable diseases account for 71% of all deaths worldwide, and mental health issues affect one in four people in the world.
In response, the Healthy Cities and Communities initiative is examining the link between cities and healthy living. Cities around the globe are applying innovative approaches including health buses and vertically-farmed vegetables to improve city dwellers' lives.
Read the impact story here.
Applying technology to combat plastic pollution
A new project is providing visibility and support to workers in Ghana known as waste pickers who clean up communities and natural areas.
Coordinated by the Forum, the Global Plastic Action Partnership and SAP, the project is creating a group of more than 2,000 waste pickers and measuring the quantities and types of plastic that they collect. This data is then analysed alongside the prices that are paid throughout the value chain by buyers in Ghana and internationally, increasing transparency to ensure fair wages and more efficient recycling efforts.
Read the impact story here.
Building a global response to cybersecurity risks
By 2025, next-generation technology could overwhelm the defences of the global security community - unless we act now.
Businesses are building a global response to these cybersecurity risks through the Future Series: Cybercrime 2025. The joint programme of work with the University of Oxford - Oxford Martin School brings together more than 150 global experts from the world’s leading companies, research institutions and public-policy departments to enable organizations to share and develop research, insights and responses to future risks as a community.
Read the impact story here.
Charting a course for cities to reach net-zero
From clean electrification to efficient buildings and smart infrastructure, a new initiative will help cities chart a course towards a net-zero carbon future.
Nine cities and more than 70 organizations in 10 different sectors have come together for a multi-year initiative: Net Zero Carbon Cities. Together with the Forum, they have created a vision for the future and launched a new framework to help cities rethink urban ecosystems, ensuring that they are greener, more efficient, resilient, circular and equitable.
Read the impact story here.
Committing to disability inclusion across companies
People living with disability make up the largest minority group worldwide, with more than 1.3 billion people, representing 17% of the global population.
To put disability on the business agenda, more than 400 companies have joined the Valuable 500 initiative and committed to increasing their organization’s confidence and competence in disability inclusion. The initiative provides support, tools and best practices to embed inclusivity across their businesses.
Read the impact story here.
Closing the digital gap
About 3.6 billion people worldwide remain offline, affecting the ability to reach these populations with health, education and economic services.
The new EDISON Alliance will bring together governments and industries to accelerate digital inclusion and connect critical sectors of the economy. It aims to ensure that everyone can affordably participate in the digital economy.
Read the impact story here.
Supporting social entrepreneurs fighting COVID-19
The COVID Response Alliance for Social Entrepreneurs, launched in April 2020, is mobilizing support for and raising awareness of the vital role that social entrepreneurs play in responding to the COVID-19 crisis.
The alliance supports more than 90,000 social entrepreneurs across the world who are helping an estimated 1.9 billion people by providing access to employment, food, affordable energy and other critical services.
Read the impact story here.
