Today’s pressing challenges need collaborative solutions

It’s almost two-and-a-half years since business leaders and politicians last gathered face-to-face at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos – and the world has changed significantly in that time.

The geopolitical environment has become increasingly complex and unstable, taking a heavy toll on millions of people. From supply chain challenges and the war in Ukraine to soaring energy prices, food shortages on the doorstep of several countries in Africa and Southeast Asia and spiking inflation across the world, the list of issues is long and not easy to solve. These all come on top of climate change, which is impacting the world in an unprecedented way.

As such, there’s ample reason to get global leaders together at Davos. Global co-operation is essential to find new solutions that can make a positive and tangible difference to us all.  I’m looking forward to connecting in-person with leaders from around the world to exchange insights and help to drive progress on the urgent issues facing us today. 

Real estate plays an important role. The built environment is responsible for close to 40% of the world’s carbon footprint. At the same time, affordable housing is one of the most pressing social questions, impacting a growing number of people in countries around the world.

As leaders in our space, we want to share our expertise, show what’s possible and support other companies as they take steps to make their real estate healthier, more inclusive and more sustainable.

Furthering our work at COP26, we’ll be running a session on Achieving Net Zero Real Estate. Drawing on the Green Building Principles we created in partnership with the World Economic Forum, we’ll explore how companies can take action to overcome common challenges and use technology and partnerships to decarbonise their real estate portfolios in line with their targets. 

Throughout the week, we’ll be sharing updates from our delegates Neil Murray, CEO of our Work Dynamics business; Richard Bloxam, who leads our global Capital Markets business; Radha Dhir, our CEO of India; and Andy Poppink, our EMEA Markets CEO. Stay tuned to find out more about all the big talking points and outcomes and visit our Davos webpage for the latest news.

As we all grapple with the ongoing uncertainty, this year’s Davos stands out as an opportunity to build momentum for the sustainable and inclusive future we all want. Only by working together will we achieve that.