Much of the world seems to be on edge. The West's relationship with Russia, the future of NATO, the Syrian civil war and refugees, rising right-wing populism, the impact of automation and the United Kingdom's impending departure from the European Union: All of these topics — and more — have roiled public debate worldwide. But one issue — one might say the most significant of them all — is being ignored or pushed aside: the environment.

That was the case at this year's annual meeting of the World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland. Beyond a mention of the Paris climate agreement by Chinese President Xi Jinping, topics like climate change and sustainable development didn't even make it to the main stage. Instead, they were relegated to side meetings that rarely seemed to intersect with current political and economic events.

Allowing environmental issues to fall by the wayside at this time of geopolitical and social instability is a mistake, and not just because this happens to be a critical moment in the fight to manage climate change. Environmental degradation and natural-resource insecurity are undermining our ability to tackle some of the biggest global issues we face.