WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo is at the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos to strengthen engagement with the private sector.
Businesses can both contribute to, and benefit from, early warning services, according to a new joint white paper from the World Meteorological Organization and World Economic Forum, in collaboration with the Australian National University.
The report illuminates how businesses can use early warning services to strengthen their climate adaptation and resilience strategies, working in concert with government and other stakeholders to prepare and protect communities and economies from extreme weather.
The white paper, Catalysing Business Engagement in Early Warning Systems , was presented at the World Economic Forum's prestigious annual meeting in Davos. Environmental risks - led by extreme weather - have become the greatest source of long-term concern and are projected to intensify over the next decade, according to the WEF Global Risks Report , which underscores concern about the impact on business operations, supply and distribution chains, and the workforce.
" Early Warnings for All - ensuring that every person on Earth is protected by early warnings - is a global challenge that will require the combined efforts of the public and private sectors and will not be possible without the vast and innovative capabilities of businesses," WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo told a panel discussion entitled What's Going on with the Weather.
"There is significant room for the private sector to create added value, with promising technologies and services ranging from cutting-edge AI-driven models for better risk knowledge to enhanced warning dissemination and communication. Business engagement also benefits society, allowing companies to enhance their corporate social responsibility," she said.
"It is essential for National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHS) and businesses to reach a balance between delivery of authoritative and reliable warnings and services, and innovation. This will ensure the long-term sustainability and relevance of EWS. This partnership is vital to closing the global early warning coverage gap and protecting lives and economies from growing climate change impacts," said Celeste Saulo.
The white paper aims to lay the foundations for new partnerships. It presents a framework for understanding the role of business in early warning and a first assessment of business engagement in the field. It complements the Early Warnings For All Private Sector Engagement Strategy.
"Outside of specialist firms that support national hydrometeorological capabilities, EWS have traditionally been viewed as exclusively governmental domains. However, there are now increasing opportunities for businesses to explore EWS to optimize their operations or supply chains for climate and weather. They can potentially harness advancements in sensing, computational and communications technology, along with the availability of data, to inform decision-making," said Gim Huay Neo, Managing Director, Managing Board, Head of Centre for Nature and Climate at the World Economic Forum.
Increasing data, information and technological advancements is a global trend which is driving the growth of business opportunity in EWS: The integration of AI, IoT and big data technologies is transforming how businesses engage with EWS. By using AI-driven analytics and real-time data from IoT networks, businesses can automate and optimize weather-driven decision-making across various sectors. For instance, AI-powered platforms can disseminate early warnings faster and tailor them to a specific client's needs.
Businesses engaging in EWS often develop diverse relationships with NMHS. They sometimes function simultaneously as users, partners, vendors and innovators. This means they not only provide products and services to NMHS, but also rely on NMHS data to develop customer-facing solutions.
The report is based on a survey of 19 businesses and a review of available literature. It found that there is growing involvement in early warning systems but that barriers remain. One of the barriers is the lack of clear governance, guidance and enabling policies from governments, for which, WMO has been providing and enhancing assistance to its Members to promote public-private engagement.
Here are some examples on how businesses can contribute and benefit:
- Some companies rely on EWS data to identify and assess risks, enabling proactive measures such as adjusting operations in high-risk areas. They also use this data to develop products and services to help others mitigate risks.
- Others receive warnings through internal and external communication channels and can play a larger role by helping disseminate critical information to supply chains, customers and local communities.
- Data availability is a key driver of innovation in EWS: A core strategy for encouraging stronger business engagement in EWS is to make as much data open and easy to work with as possible.
- Support to early warning contributes to corporate social responsibility which is an imperative for 21st century business leaders.
