Welcoming Change at the World Economic Forum 2020
It is good to see that Davos is welcoming change, good intentions are better than their opposite.
Even the corporate world is ready for the transition, at least that is the rhetoric that was communicated this week at the 50th anniversary of the World Economic Forum (WEF).
The potential for transformation is at its maximum, as all sectors of society share in the attempt to bring about a more sustainable future, echoing the demand for systemic change from the grassroots movements accross the world dedicated towards a genuine breakthrough.
Yet, if Davos truly wants to redirect the course away from planetary overshoot and collapse, it needs a comprehensive way to restructure the incentive system of the economy to reward regenerative contributions at scale, and with it, outcompete models built on degeneration.
“Investments” cannot be considered as such, if they negatively impact the systemic integrity of the biosphere that we collectively share. Investments supporting and accelerating the adoption of regenerative practices currently lost in market failure, need a market place that reflect their true value in absolute terms. The very foundations of our economic models which shape the current paradigm, need to be reimagined. Capital needs to be measured and understood in its full dimension to include all forms of capital and not be myopically reduced to mean only financial capital. Contributions that grow and maintain a healthy economy, community, ecology and society towards systemic well-being, need to be rewarded at scale to effectively outcompete economic models built on worldviews of induced scarcity.
The place to be in Davos was Davos BlockBase, the hub for all things related to blockchain. The spirit here was different, fostering a more holistic vision towards elevating personal and planetary well-being.
It is fascinating to note that most people at the World Economic Forum, chief executives and political talking heads alike, are rather unaware of how blockchain is redefining the very structure of society. The tools and technological capacity to empower and scale our innate human ability to cooperate and exchange with one another, enabling us to leapfrog away from models based on scarcity altogether, are already available.
The New World Economic Forum is not limited to Davos. It is taking place everywhere as evolved forms of governance and integral economies continue to spread roots at scale. This shift is not limited to cities but has a rural renaissance at the very core of its foundation. Well-being economies where cultural and biological diversity are restored, both in voice and value, harmonize people into right relationship with community and place. The new world economy is not fragmented by geopolitics but is shaped by a shared sense of responsibility towards the biosphere as a whole.
The new financial system that is emerging is designed to re-align the best ecological course of action to equate the best economical decisions. It will fuel purpose and channel the collective will towards a shared vision of change, where contributions to the well-being of people and planet are no longer lost in market failures of anthropocenic proportions but are valued and rewarded directly.
It is clear that a broader, more interconnected and integrative approach to development is not only asked for, but is on its way. We now have a unique opportunity to integrate these impulses into a worthy planetary response adequate to the scale of the opportunity.
