Daily Davos: China, climate, culture

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

Most shared today

A new global response to pandemics. “We’ve seen that ‘passing the hat’ around once a pandemic strikes is too costly, both in human lives and in economic terms,” says the World Bank President.

The future of energy. “We need to invent a method to transform very inexpensive electricity into cost competitive liquid hydrocarbon fuels.”

On the Agenda

How Ireland pulled back from the brink. “The strong recovery we’re now experiencing is very welcome, though getting here has been a very difficult journey for our people,” writes Ireland’s Prime Minister.

The problem with antibiotics. “Governments really need to get involved in the development of new antibiotics…in the same way that governments fund education, roads, police, defence.” says Nobel Prize-winning chemist Venki Ramakrishnan.

The power of empathy. What happened when an NGO invited CEOs to spend 24 hours living in slum conditions.

Can we combat climate change? “We know it’s feasible – we’ve done it with the stratospheric ozone. We can also do it with climate change, but we must try harder.”

How culture contributes to Davos. Meet this year’s Crystal Award winners.

The World Economic Forum in the news

China better at setting global agenda with high-profile presence at Davos. “By raising new concepts such as ‘the Chinese Dream’, and ‘the community of common destiny,’ China is trying to help shape a new world.” (China Daily)

World leaders in Davos to focus on risks to humanity. “The risks of the last 10 years were all about economy. Those in the next 10 will be about societal and environmental issues.” (New Scientist)

Davos would not be itself if there was not a look at the long term issues. “This is one of the few international forums where climate change remains very much at the top of the agenda.” (GulfNews)

Time to rebuild trust between people and corporates. Davos co-chair Hari S Bhartia on the challenge for Indian and global business. (Business Standard)

A grown up theme for a grown up Davos? “From economics to politics to security, today’s world is a web of fraying strands, swaying in the wind of change. If that doesn’t constitute a ‘New Global Context’ I don’t know what does.” (CNN)

On our radar

The missing question at Davos? It is the interest of every state to have a stable world economy. But each state is equally incentivised (at least in the short term) to do what is best for its own economy.  That helps no one in the longer run.

The psychology of Facebook. All the research on what the world’s favourite social network is doing to our personalities and behaviour.

Why are married people healthier?

There are more Guardian readers in the top 1% of the global rich than there are billionaires. “Inequality is not a neoliberal conspiracy by a tiny minority…We can do something about it. But doing so – especially on a global scale – might mean reducing our own privilege, not others’.”

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

Image: Daan Roosegaarde, Artist, Studio Roosegaarde, Netherlands is captured during final preparations of the interactive installation ‘landscape of light, sound and motion ‘Dune’ at the Annual Meeting 2015 of the World Economic Forum at the congress centre in Davos, January 20, 2015.