Worth Knowing: John Kerry’s Lively Davos Legacy

January 8, 2024 Worth Knowing T It was a busy week for Worthy 100-honored political leaders, with one entering office and another preparing to leave. In Guatemala, Bernardo Arévalo was finally sworn in as President. He won his election in August, on a promise to challenge the country's ruling elites; and those elites put up roadblock after roadblock to delay his taking office. In the U.S., word came out that John Kerry, the Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, will resign his job of three years to assist in Joe Biden’s 2024 reelection effort. But Kerry is still on the job for at least a month, which includes returning once again to the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos this week. As executive editor Sean Captain describes: It’s familiar territory for Kerry, who has been making news, and provocative statements, at the gathering of global leaders and elites for years. His climate work culminated in the “COP21” Paris Agreement of 2015, in which Kerry wrestled tensions both international and domestic to help forge an agreement to reduce national emissions by 80% by 2050 (against 2005 levels) and limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 F). While international agreements aren’t typically concluded at the Alpine resort, it serves as a key spot for meetings and announcements. At Davos in 2022, Kerry spoke to the progress of ongoing negotiations with China to accelerate greenhouse emissions, including efforts to curb methane leaks. And Davos was a regular meeting place with his Chinese counterpart, Xie Zhenhua. In late 2021, Kerry partnered with the WEF to launch the First Movers Coalition of major companies committing to clean up the most-emitting industrial sectors: steel, aluminum, cement, shipping, aviation, and trucking. As in all his efforts, Kerry has been frank in his assessments. At last year’s Davos meeting, he bemoaned lack of progress towards the historic deal he helped broker. “I am not convinced we’re going to get there in time to do what the scientists said, which is avoid the worst consequences of the crisis,” he said.  And he laid some of the blame at the feet of corporations. “[A] whole bunch of companies in the world have chosen to say, ‘I’m going to be net zero by 2050’,” he said. “And you and I, we know they don’t have a clue how they’re going to get there.” Read more on John Kerry's Davos legacy here. FEATURED STORY WEF-cooperation Davos: Prospects for Global Cooperation Not So Bad Despite many setbacks, a World Economic Forum report claims that opportunities for global cooperation are about as good this year as last. By Marshall Honorof BEST IN BUSINESS Davos: Economists Expect Weaker Growth in 2024 A new World Economic Forum report suggests that economies all around the world may see slower growth in 2024, particularly in Europe. 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Meet Guatamala’s New President, César Bernardo Arévalo de Léon In 2022, Transparency International ranked Guatemala as one of the most corrupt countries in the world, just ahead of Honduras, and just behind Iran. President-elect César Bernardo Arévalo de Léon is working hard to change that, and facing stiff resistance every step of the way. By Worth Media Group Worth Media, 155 East 44th Street, 18th Floor, New York, NY 10017