As usual, the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, held last week, attracted major global players such as U.S. President Donald Trump, Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde and many other heads of state and business leaders. But one thing was different this year. The air in Davos was dominated by the sentiment that everyone should get on board to stop global warming and reduce plastic waste. Big corporations and governments alike were also constantly being asked what they could do to help realize the creation of a sustainable society.
Even Trump, who dedicated much of his speech at Davos to boasting about America's economic growth under his watch, pledged that the United States will join the One Trillion Tree initiative mapped out by the World Economic Forum (WEF), which aims to combat climate change by planting saplings.
If there was ever a time to act to create a more sustainable Earth, it is now. This sense of urgency must be shared across the world, including Japan, which failed to send any Cabinet-level government leaders to Davos this year.