I wrote about social media in July final 12 months after I made the level that data, and how it’s used and distributed, underpins how we operate as societies (“Addictive social media distracts us from doing something about the state of the planet”, Planetary Health Matters, StarLifestyle, July 19, 2022). It’s a degree that I additionally took up at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, which I attended final month (Jan 16-20, 2023).
There are arguments about the deserves of the WEF, however the reality is that this worldwide discussion board is a spot the place, generally, issues get carried out. A closed-door dialogue I spoke at with world leaders was known as “Science is experiencing its Don’t Look Up moment, as collapses in the natural world gain pace. How can scientists continue to ramp-up their communications of key evidence to influence the hearts, minds and actions of public and private decision-makers?”
From a planetary well being perspective, that is most likely the greatest query on the market. We know that compelling science, when combined with cataclysmic proof, can get individuals to change their behaviours very quickly – assume Covid-19. But there are different examples. The annual development fee in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions is slowing globally – down from 3% in the 2000s to 0.5% in the final decade, in line with the Global Carbon Project, which quantifies greenhouse gasoline emissions. And there are indicators that with the proper incentives we will discover a technique to get ourselves to internet zero by 2050. So the affect of the proof, mixed with smart coverage decisions and the proper messaging can promote change.
A whole lot of that can come right down to us and how we change our behaviour and encourage or, maybe extra appropriately, push for change by firms which ship items and companies in “our” names.
For instance, Petronas paid out RM50bil in 2022 in dividends to the Malaysian authorities, its sole shareholder. Since its basis it’s estimated that Petronas has paid out RM1.2tril in dividends to successive governments. In 2021 the firm reported internet earnings of RM48bil. Granted its power transition technique lays out the institution of a brand new entity renewables, however the technique’s essential promoting level is that pure gasoline is the clear gasoline to ease our power transition.
In November 2022 a United Nations-backed group of researchers discovered that the world was on observe to provide 70% extra pure gasoline in 2030 than could be appropriate with the aim of preserving the world temperature improve to 1.5°C. And climate scientists are involved about methane that leaks into the ambiance throughout pure gasoline manufacturing. Methane has a warming impact as much as 90 instances extra highly effective than C02 over a 20-year timescale.
The particular “50-billion-ringgit question” about Petronas is that its earnings contribute round 15% to twenty% of the nationwide funds, which suggests we nonetheless want fossil gasoline assets to pay for faculties, hospitals, roads and different public companies. The want for Malaysia to divest from fossil fuels has by no means been extra essential. On the constructive aspect Petronas is extra clear than others and has shared its aspirations to succeed in internet zero. Many Malaysian corporations’ public going through “achievements” disguise the undeniable fact that they’re amongst the greatest emitters. The cement and coal industries, amongst others, come to thoughts. This is “green hushing” masked in shiny sustainability experiences.
So right here is the science offering us with two contradictory arguments: Argument 1: Gas is our transition saviour as we transfer in the direction of internet zero. Argument 2: Gas is unhealthy and accelerating world warming.
Of course, argument is wholesome; it helps us get to the reality. Or does it? The arguments now appear to go on for therefore lengthy that it’s generally simpler merely to not have interaction. After all, for millennia, we didn’t have the information, data, platforms and audiences that all of us have at this time.
At the WEF, I used to be in a position to work out what I needed to ask about this rising confusion and uncertainty, and it was this: “Where are the Zukerbergs and Murdochs?”
Social and mainstream media, whether or not we prefer it or not, are the fourth property (or fourth energy), which suggests the press and information media can each explicitly, by way of advocacy, and implicitly, by way of affect, body political points or lead its viewers astray.
We are going through an existential disaster so what can the WEF do to carry science and media collectively past a comfy chat in Davos and into some actual work at the world stage which types out how one can translate science into digestible actionable items of data? A partnership that finds solutions to the arguments slightly than complicating them in boards the place everyone seems to be all of a sudden an professional? There are sufficient expert individuals on either side to make this occur –however somebody must grip it. Can WEF try this? If not, who and what is going to transfer the needle?
Dr Jemilah Mahmood, a doctor and skilled disaster chief, was appointed the govt director of the Sunway Centre for Planetary Health at Sunway University in August 2021. She is the founding father of assist organisation Mercy Malaysia and has served in management roles internationally with the United Nations and Red Cross for the final decade. She writes on Planetary Health Matters as soon as a month in StarLifestyle.
