Day 3 at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting, commonly referred to as “Davos,” was Ocean Day, with an emphasis on protecting the Earth’s seas. Here’s how Salesforce embraced this important platform today with programs on inclusiveness, the environment, and equality.

 

5th Industrial Revolution: Saving the Planet

“Over the next decade will be the Fifth Industrial Revolution and that will be about saving the planet,” Salesforce Chairman and co-CEO Marc Benioff said Thursday in a fireside chat with World Economic Forum Founder and Executive Chairman Klaus Schwab in Davos. 

 

“We have really a lot of work to do,” Benioff said. “We can see the rising temperatures, we can see how that affects the oceans and creates acidification, changes our ecosystems.”

 

“We have to ask ourselves: is this the world we are going to leave our children, you know, one or two decades from now?” Benioff asked. “Especially when we can see the targets that have been set out in the Paris Accords.”

 

Benioff added that the current Fourth Industrial Revolution has ushered in technologies that can help save the planet. He said that younger generation will play a key role in doing so. “Not just the global shapers, not just the young global leaders, but really the generation still just coming in. They’re coming out of school. They have these ideas of biodiversity and leadership and it’s very powerful.” Read more on the Salesforce Newsroom.

 

Above, some big names trade big ideas on equality and the environment. Salesforce founder and Co-CEO Marc Benioff, Black Eyed Peas founder and philanthropist will.i.am, and U2 lead singer and activist Bono huddle at The Fourth Industrial Revolution Lunch, hosted by Benioff on Thursday at Davos. Below, Benioff is joined on the stage by scientist Dr. Jane Goodall, Bono, teen climate activist Greta Thunberg, diplomat and environmentalist Christiana Figueres, President & CEO of Sompo Holdings Kengo Sakurada, and will.i.am. Below, beneath a dome and backed by a spectacular view, the panel speaks to a lunchtime audience tuned into building a better future.

Quotes from today at Davos

"Plastic has become the nuclear waste of our generation.” – Salesforce founder and Co-CEO Marc Benioff

 

“Its got to be our passion, our hearts and our brains working together. Then in 10 years, I'll be happy to die and leave the world to my grandchildren.” – scientist Jane Goodall

 

“We have to decide. Are we firefighters or arsonists?” – musician and activist Bono

 

“We should encourage technology— but at the same time, we should enhance our wisdom that we have accumulated in history and liberal arts.”  – President & CEO of Sompo Holdings Kengo Sakurada

 

“Some people say this crisis is something we all created. That is not true. If everyone is guilty than no one is to blame. But someone is to blame. Some people have known what priceless values that have been sacrificing in order to make tons of money. Some of that group is here today.” – teen climate activist Greta Thunberg

 

What's next

Keep an eye on the Salesforce blog for a full recap of our meetings in Davos.

 

Follow @salesforce on Twitter and #WEF2019 for real-time updates from Davos. You can watch live streams of the programming as it unfolds. Find out more here.