World Economic Forum emphasizes sustainability in Davos operations

As the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting opens in Davos, Switzerland, sustainability is once again a central focus of the gathering. The meeting, which brings together some 3,000 global leaders, carries a headlining theme of "A Spirit of Dialogue" and asks, among other things, "How can we build prosperity within planetary boundaries?" Mirek Dusek, the Forum’s head of global programming, said sustainability is treated as a core operational principle and informs how venues are constructed, powered and run.

Organizers point to concrete measures: participants and media traveling from Europe receive 100 percent reimbursement for train travel and a dedicated train stop operates at the Congress Centre. Venues include the Congress Centre, a nearly 65,000-square-foot Kurpark Village pavilion that debuted in 2024 and the Zondacrypto-Arena; the Forum says it has installed a heat pump at the Congress Centre, added solar panels, uses pellet heating and high insulation in Kurpark Village, reuses and donates furniture, relies on LED lighting and has cut fuel consumption by 50 percent since 2023 with a further 45 percent reduction expected by 2027.

On food and waste, the Forum says it uses A.I. to monitor consumption and reduce waste, donates extra ingredients to a public pop-up restaurant called 4Reasons, has halved bottled drinks and has not used PET bottles at the Congress Centre since 2016.

Key Topics

Business, World Economic Forum, Davos, Mirek Dusek, Kurpark Village, Congress Centre