Crown Prince Haakon of Norway has been in Davos this week for the World Economic Forum. His diary while there focused on the UN’s sustainability goals, sea, climate change and new technology. The Crown Prince has a deep interest in environmental matters in connection with development work and within technology and innovation. He is particularly concerned with marine health and polar issues.
The Norwegian Crown Prince came to Davos on Monday and met British naturalist Sir David Attenborough who was in conversation with former US Vice President Al Gore and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern about environmental issues. For the fourth consecutive year, the World Economic Forum has highlighted climate change as the biggest threat to the global economy.
On Thursday the Crown Prince attended an event outside the conference area in Davos under the direction of the network “Friends of Ocean Action”. Marco Lambertini of the WWF World Natural Fund and Jan-Gunnar Winther of the Center for the Sea and the Arctic were among the panel members who discussed the next wave of new technology and solutions for the sea.
His Royal Highness Crown Prince Haakon of Norway. Photo: Oskar Aanmoen / Royal Central.
Both Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit have attended the World Economic Forum several times before. The heir to Norway’s throne attended his first meeting in Davos in 2005. Princess Märtha Louise, the Crown Prince’s older sister, also attended the World Economic Forum this year. However, this was not on behalf of the Royal Family, as her attendance was not listed on the Royal Court’s diary. Meanwhile, his visit to Davos meant that Crown Prince Haakon had to miss an extraordinary Council of State in Oslo where his father, King Harald V, approved changes to the Norwegian government.
The World Economic Forum was founded in 1971 as a not-for-profit organisation. The Forum’s mission is cited as a commitment ”to improving the state of the world by engaging business, political, academic, and other leaders of society to shape global, regional, and industry agendas.” The WEF is best known for its annual meeting at the end of January in Davos, a mountain resort in Graubünden, in the eastern Alps region of Switzerland. The conference brings together some 2,500 top business leaders, royals, international political leaders, economists, celebrities and journalists for up to four days to discuss the most pressing issues facing the world.
