DAVOS 2007

There’s just some people who is able to see further, who doesn’t get stacked in the mass. Sometimes you can find them in the most unexpected places. It is certainly difficult to find the leaders who go straight to the point, concerned of people needs and understanding what has to be done even before the problems arise. And one of these places is the Global economical forum in Davos. More precisely, the special program global players of CNBC, with Sabine Christiansen, Ken Livinstone (Mayor of London), Victor Chu (Chairman, First Eastern Investment Group), Klaus Kleinfeld (CEO of Siemens), Lester Brown (Founder & President Earth Policy Institute), and Ricardo Salinas Pliego (Chairman of Grupo Salinas).

Key Livingstone, the current mayor of London represents all those characteristics mentioned above. Neither he nor any member of his council uses the car to go to work. The toll system in the downtown represented a 15% reduction of congestion. Now they are moving to limit the use of the most pollutant and energy wasting cars, and once that is achieved they will be able to move to the next layer. In the words of the mayor: It’s a matter of values, cars no longer mean higher status. Businessmen are going back to buses.

Additionally, I must note the a master intervention of Lester Brown arguing that a complete costs analysis of the insurance, treating, disposal, commissioning and decommissioning makes nuclear technology unfeasible despite interest of some who claim it is the answer to our energy problems.

Many topics were discussed, far from being a short sighted vision it included energy, transport and resources supply. Perhaps not in full detail, but for sure stating the philosophical basis. I’d really like the mayor of my city Barcelona to have watched that program. However, I know that this is as a matter of fact impossible, and long time will have to go by until we see a change of perspective on Catalan and Spanish politicians and society.