The sea - one of the most important issues in Davos

Awareness of the sea’s importance to the planet has penetrated the finest salons.

The World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos brings together some of the world’s most powerful decision-makers in politics and business. Business leaders, international politicians and “prominent intellectuals” discuss what the organizer defines as the most pressing issues for the world. This year, the environment and the sea are high on the agenda.

Among luxury restaurants, champagne, and limousines in the Swiss alp-resort, climate change is taken very seriously today – it is already affecting stock market prices and living standards.

The WEF has published a report in which climate change is described as a serious danger to the stability of the world. Loss of biodiversity – which can lead to the collapse of ecosystems – is a direct threat to humanity. The ocean holds 94 percent of all life on Earth. Protecting life below the surface is necessary for human survival. It is about more than doomsday prophecies: Without functioning ecosystems, not only is the economy threatened – but we will also have difficulty finding food.

We humans must also prepare for the dramatic changes to come, for example when the water level rises in the world’s oceans.

But the WEF’s report also offers hope for change. There is a strong belief in man’s ability to reverse the negative development after all. But that requires radical measures. The most important is to stop the emissions that drive climate change, according to the WEF report.