Covid-19 has not only claimed millions of lives, but it also risks widened long-standing health, economic and digital disparities, according to the World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report, written in partnership with Marsh.
March 23, 2021
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These are the ‘positive’ tipping points that could slow global warming
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This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum.
Author: Mark McCord, Writer, Formative Content
An academic paper suggests key tipping points can significantly reduce carbon emissions, which would help to slow global warming.
Government policies are making coal uneconomical.
Electric vehicle pricing structures have helped reduce the number of petrol and diesel cars on the world’s roads.
5 agents of change for Europe’s post-pandemic recovery
The COVID-19 pandemic has uncovered strengths and resilience in European societies and economies in the response to a public health crisis that continues to impact global stability. The full extent of its bearing on the global economy has yet to be seen. McKinsey estimates that as many as 59 million jobs in the EU-27 could be at risk. The pandemic has also shed light on gaps and significant tasks for the future – according to the World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report 2021, we are far from having turned the corner: infectious diseases and livelihood risks are the top two short-term global concerns.
Spotlight on Sustainable Initiatives
Environmental concerns continue to top the list of the World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report in terms of likelihood and impact for the next decade.
The 2021 report states that the highest likelihood risks over the next ten years will be extreme weather, a failure to fight climate change and human-led environmental damage.
Within the report’s executive summary, the World Economic Forum says that a shift towards greener economies cannot be delayed until the shocks of the COVID-19 pandemic subside.
From speaking to those involved in the ports and terminals industry, sustainability and decarbonisation goals have not been pushed aside because of the impact of COVID-19 on the industry.
But the battle to contain the spread led to the shutting of borders and the prioritization of self-sufficiency. The pandemic has widened political and social divisions, while throwing economies into disarray, requiring national responses that have sometimes been at odds with the global purpose.
The World Economic Forum Global Risks Report 2021, reveals how the crisis has challenged national policy-making and international relations in ways that threaten lasting impacts. Institutions and policies to support international coordination were already in decline, and responses to the pandemic have caused new geopolitical tensions. “With new stalemates and flashpoints in view, GRPS respondents rated ‘state collapse’ and ‘multilateralism collapse’ as critical threats over the next five to ten years.”