On January 18, 2025, the World Systemic Forum convened in Flums, Switzerland, bringing together 300 change makers in a unique mountain bunker setting.
Founded in 2020 by Rudi Hilti of The System Change Foundation, the forum serves as a neutral platform for influential minds to collaborate on innovative approaches to systemic change.
Themed "Let's be Re:evolutionary," this year's event emphasized a return to the ideals that define humanity, aiming to inspire collaboration toward a fairer and more sustainable future. In partnership with fellows from the University of St. Gallen (HSG), the forum facilitated discussions on interconnected global topics, fostering thought and action for systemic advancement.
The forum's vision centers on the belief that scaling systemic change is achievable only through collaboration. By providing a dedicated space and gathering expertise, the event encourages the exchange of new prospects for systemic change, connecting the right people to think, collaborate, and act toward this goal. The primary objective is to inspire pioneers to take new directions and initiate transformative projects.
As a by-invitation-only event, the World Systemic Forum continues to be a catalyst for pioneering collaborations, shaping decisions, and unlocking potential to contribute to the creation of sustainable ecological and economic systems.
“The results of our panel discussion at the World Systemic Forum on sustainability and the path to global transformation in the energy sector have provided new impulses and fresh perspectives, thanks to the excellent contributions of our panellists. I am particularly pleased that our VDE President Alf Henryk Wulf and I have received such great appreciation for our manifesto at the World Economic Forum."
"As a father of a growing generation with many questions and uncertainties, I was deeply touched by the fact that leading family investors in Davos are becoming even more aware of the current challenges and risks facing our society than in previous years. We urgently need systemic change in many areas. Openness to technology, trust and honesty in our interactions with the next generation must be the basis of our roadmap for the future. Partnerships based on trust and the awareness that, even in the era of artificial intelligence, the human being must always remain at the forefront. Our commitment and manifesto can contribute to this.”, Burkhard Holder, VDE Group and Senator of the Economy, Germany
Panel Discussion: Our Impulse for a Trust-Based Sustainability Strategy
A top-class panel included experts from Europe, the USA and China took place after the official opening by the Prime Minister of Liechtenstein, Dr. Daniel Riesch, and the Founder and Chairman of the WSF, Rudi Hilti. The panel evaluated and discussed the question: “Where do we stand: with the global transformation process in the cleantech sector? Which are the key elements of a trust-based sustainability strategy?”
Participants:
Sweta Chakraborty (CEO, We don‘t have time), Jürgen Guldner (General Program Manager Hydrogen, BMW Group), Reinhard Hüttl (Member of the Board, Senate of the Economy), Tingyan Lyu (Vice President, 3 Gorges Corporation), Diego Pavia (CEO, EIT InnoEnergy), Felix Rüdiger (Head Content & Research, St. Gallen Symposium), Sebastian Scholz (Product Lead Smart Energy, Munich Re) and Alf Henryk Wulf (President, VDE).
The panel was moderated by Nolita Thina Mvunelo from the Club of Rome, who has successfully moderated panel discussions for several years in Davos, and Burkhard Holder from VDE, who is the director of globally established financial summits with industry, investors and insurance companies.
The event was attended and supported by the BMW Group, the Senate of Economy Europe, the Hydrogen Dialogue Summit & Expo, Munich Re, EIT InnoEnergy and Goduni GmbH.
A manifesto of the panel discussion was created and advocated to various partners and distributed through various channels at the World Economic Forum. The below represents a summary of these findings:
Manifesto Recommendations and key findings
Strengthening Global Standards and Verification
- Developing interim "pre-standards" to provide guidance for emerging technologies.
- Establishing independent global bodies to verify compliance with standards, ensuring transparency and accountability.
Reforming and Strengthening Financing Structures
- Phasing out subsidies for outdated technologies, which negatively impact our climate goals and let the economy run on its own.
- Collaborating with insurance providers to de-risk investments in clean technologies.
Prioritizing Circularity in Supply Chains
- Enforcing transparency in the sourcing of critical materials to build up confidence.
- Promoting recycling initiatives and secondary markets for clean energy components, reducing dependency on raw materials.
Accelerating Workforce Development
- Investing in education and training programs at all levels to prepare the workforce with the skills required for clean energy technologies.
- Incentivizing cross-sector reskilling initiatives to bridge the existing skills gap.
Promoting Cross-Sector and Cross-Border Collaboration
- Establishing and strengthening platforms for knowledge sharing and joint projects between governments, industry players, and academia.
- Supporting global research initiatives addressing energy storage, grid optimization, and alternative materials for clean energy systems.
Ensuring Long-Term Corporate Accountability
- Encouraging corporations to embed reliable sustainability goals within their business strategies, with measurable milestones.
- Developing clear and simple frameworks to hold companies accountable for their net-zero pledges.
The full manifesto is available here, or via the link under the contact.
