2020 theme: Stakeholders for a Cohesive and Sustainable World
The World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos-Klosters is the foremost creative force for engaging the world's top leaders in collaborative activities to shape the global, regional and industry agendas at the beginning of each year.
It will bring together 3,000 participants from around the world, and aim to give concrete meaning to “stakeholder capitalism”, assist governments and international institutions in tracking progress towards the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals, and facilitate discussions on technology and trade governance.
“People are revolting against the economic ‘elites’ they believe have betrayed them, and our efforts to keep global warming limited to 1.5°C are falling dangerously short,” said Professor Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman at the World Economic Forum. “With the world at such critical crossroads, this year we must develop a ‘Davos Manifesto 2020’ to reimagine the purpose and scorecards for companies and governments. It is what the World Economic Forum was founded for 50 years ago, and it is what we want to contribute to for the next 50 years.”
The Programme for the Annual Meeting will prioritize several key areas:
How to Save the Planet [https://www.weforum.org/events/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2020/themes/how-to-save-the-planet]
Society & Future of Work [https://www.weforum.org/events/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2020/themes/society-future-of-work]
Tech for Good [https://www.weforum.org/events/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2020/themes/tech-for-good]
Fairer Economies [https://www.weforum.org/events/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2020/themes/fairer-economies]
Better Business [https://www.weforum.org/events/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2020/themes/better-business]
Healthy Futures [https://www.weforum.org/events/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2020/themes/healthy-futures]
Beyond Geopolitics [https://www.weforum.org/events/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2020/themes/beyond-geopolitics]
The Forum’s first meeting in 1971 was established to further the idea put forward by Professor Klaus Schwab that business should serve all stakeholders – customers, employees, communities, as well as shareholders. It was reaffirmed in 1973 in the “Davos Manifesto,” a document that has shaped the work of the Forum ever since. In a major update, this year’s Annual Meeting will see the publication of a universal “ESG scorecard” by the Forum’s International Business Council, which is currently chaired by Brian Moynihan, Chief Executive Officer of Bank of America.
Stakeholder Capitalism
A more sustainable Annual Meeting
The 2020 Annual Meeting will be among the most sustainable international summits ever held. Awarded the IS0 20121 standard for sustainable events in 2018, the Annual Meeting is fully carbon neutral [https://www.weforum.org/sustainability-world-economic-forum] through reducing, calculating and offsetting event-related emissions.
Initiatives put in place to achieve this goal include using locally-sourced food suppliers, introducing alternative sources of protein to reduce meat consumption, sourcing 100% renewable electricity, and reducing or eliminating the use of materials that cannot easily be recycled or re-used, such as carpets and introducing more electric vehicles.

The Fight for Artistic Freedom

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