One of the key pillars of the Foundation’s project is hope. Climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss are topics that often invite negativity, and with good reason. Climate change is one of the biggest threats to humanity and the greatest challenge of our lifetime. But rather than simply rehashing the problem, with which we are all most familiar, the Foundation invites you to turn your minds to the opportunities and possibilities that lie in the energy transition and the preservation of nature, of how it can be a catalyst for creating a better future for everyone.

I also urge you not forget the great strides that have already been made – not enough, perhaps, yet still a commendable achievement.  

We’re here in this room because we have hope for the future. You come from very different backgrounds and cultures, but we’re united because we all value cooperative globalisation and because we strive for the global common good, the motto of the Global Foundation.