The World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting, traditionally held in Davos, Switzerland, once again brought together the world’s leading thinkers. This year’s summit, themed “Collaboration in the Age of Intelligence,” hosted over 3,000 participants, including heads of state, government officials, business leaders, academics, media representatives, civil society organizations, and young leaders. The discussions addressed global challenges and proposed solutions, emphasizing sustainability strategies and action-oriented global collaborations.
Cenk Alper, CEO of Sabancı Holding, was among the Turkish business leaders representing their country at Davos this year. On the second day of the event, Alper participated in the panel titled “Aligning the Three Nature Markets,” which drew significant attention from sustainability thought leaders.
Sharing the stage with Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) CEO Sherry Madera, Greenpeace Executive Director Mads Christensen, and President of Singapore Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Alper stressed the importance of treating sustainability as a new economic paradigm. He stated that responsible management of carbon, water, and biodiversity is not just a choice but a necessity for achieving 2050 goals.
“THE GREATEST COST TO OUR BUSINESSES IS DOING NOTHING”
Alper remarked, “We have long passed the point of debating the existence of sustainability-driven risks. Today, all stakeholders must move beyond generating ideas and focus on taking action. Around the world, a new economy centered on sustainability is emerging. To unlock the opportunities this economy offers, we must align our businesses with nature, rather than working against it. We need to internalize the fact that this does not create additional costs; on the contrary, the greatest cost to our businesses is doing nothing.”
Highlighting the critical role of carbon, water, and biodiversity-related credit and financing solutions in achieving sustainability goals, Alper added, “However, trying to implement all these solutions simultaneously could lead to significant delays. In a world where we are already lagging behind on sustainability goals, we cannot afford further delays. That’s why it is more effective to take incremental steps and advance progressively rather than waiting to launch everything at once. In doing so, the lessons learned from the technology industry can play a highly instructive role. Just as the tech sector launches products and continuously refines them based on market demand, a similarly agile business model can be adopted in the world of sustainability.”