The annual World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting, held in the Swiss town of Davos, took place this year under the theme “Cooperation for the Smart Age” The event brought together over 3,000 participants, including heads of state, government officials, business leaders, academics, media representatives, civil society organizations, and young leaders. During the meetings, global issues and potential solutions were discussed, with a strong focus on sustainability strategies and action-oriented global collaborations.
Cenk Alper, CEO of Sabancı Holding, represented Turkish business at the Davos summit once again this year. On the second day of the event, Alper participated in the panel titled “Aligning with the Three Nature Markets,” which was attended by influential figures in sustainability. Alper shared the stage with Sherry Madera, CEO of Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), Mads Christensen, Executive Director of Greenpeace, and Tharman Shanmugaratnam, President of Singapore.
Alper emphasized that “the point of debating sustainability risks is long past.” He stated, “Today, all stakeholders must move beyond brainstorming and start taking action. A new economy focused on sustainability is emerging globally. In order to unlock the opportunities within this new economy, we must align our businesses with nature, rather than trying to align nature with our businesses. This does not create an additional cost; in fact, the greatest cost to our businesses is staying passive and doing nothing.”
He also highlighted the critical importance of financing solutions related to carbon, water, and biodiversity in line with sustainability goals. “Implementing all these solutions simultaneously could lead to significant time loss. In a world where we are falling behind on sustainability targets, we can no longer afford to delay. Therefore, it is far more beneficial to progress step by step, developing the field over time, rather than waiting for all steps to be taken at once. While doing so, the gains of the technology industry can play an instructive role in the sustainability world. Just as the tech industry develops a product and continuously improves it based on market demand, a similar agile business model can be applied in sustainability,” Alper added.