By Business India Editorial

Artists, experts and government officials discuss the disastrous Australian wildfires at the ongoing World Economic Forum in Davos.

Australia’s wildfires have captured global attention, with images of destroyed forests, displaced communities and injured wildlife capturing the devastating ground reality. The fires are the most damaging in the country’s recorded history and have destroyed millions of hectares. They were made worse by persistent heat and drought conditions, leading some to claim that climate change is responsible for the severity of the conflagration. 

The situation formed the basis of a panel discussion at the ongoing World Economic Forum in Davos, with participants including Mathias Cormann, Australia’s minister for finance, environmental expert Carlos Afonso Nobre and artist Lynette Wallworth. 

During the discussion, the panellists shared thoughts on topics such as how such a disaster can be prevented in the future to the role of indigenous people in building climate resilience. While speaking about how the fires might trigger changes in Australia’s policies, Cormann said, “Obviously, in the context of resilience to climate change and climate change adaptation there is certainly more that we need to do.” He later went on to speak about the role coal will play in the foreseeable future as an energy source, calling it “significantly important."

Fellow panellists Wallworth and Nobre stressed on the importance to recognize the ongoing climate crisis and work towards sustainable practices and policies, often butting heads with Cormann. Nobre noted that, “... the Australia bush fires show that we are very, very close to the tipping point.”

Watch the discussion below: