Business

All eyes in Davos were on the arrival of climate activist Greta Thunberg, who slammed the oil and gas giants who participate in the World Economic Forum. At a panel entitled "Treating the climate crisis like a crisis", she and fellow activists said that energy giants are "prioritising greed" rather than action. Also in the show, Business Editor Kate Moody gets reaction to the strikes over pension reform in France, and takes a closer look at how international aid for Ukraine is being spent.

The World Economic Forum on Wednesday saw speeches from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, among others. FRANCE 24's Business Editor Kate Moody spoke with French Minister for European Affairs Laurence Boone about Europe's green energy future and how European businesses can stay competitive.

The Ukrainian president is set to speak at the World Economic Forum by videolink this Wednesday, as our Business Editor Kate Moody explains. This comes amid the ongoing energy crisis in Europe sparked by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Speaking to FRANCE 24 in Davos earlier, EU chief Ursula Von der Leyen said the bloc is reacting successfully to the challenge of ending its dependence on Russian oil and gas. Also in the show, a new report sheds light on the Forum's carbon footprint.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen outlined the bloc's Green Deal subsidy plan at the World Economic Forum on Tuesday, as the US and China push ahead with their own industrial subsidies for clean tech. FRANCE 24's Business Editor Kate Moody spoke with von der Leyen in Davos about the ramifications.

The World Economic Forum has officially kicked off in Davos. Ukraine's First Lady Olena Zelenska, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He are among the expected speakers this Tuesday. Our Business Editor Kate Moody brings us an update from Davos, with insights on the billions being poured into chip production, as well as how companies are responding to inflation and energy costs.

Oxfam's latest report on inequality shows that two thirds of global wealth created since the Covid-19 pandemic has gone to the top 1 percent of earners. As the 2023 World Economic Forum gets underway, the anti-poverty NGO is calling for windfall taxes on wealthy individuals and corporate profits. FRANCE 24's Business Editor Kate Moody speaks with Oxfam Executive Director Gabriela Bucher in Davos.

Political and business leaders from around the world are convening in the Swiss resort town of Davos. The theme for this year's meeting is "cooperation in a fragmented world". FRANCE 24's Kate Moody is in Davos and tells us what we should expect. Also in the show, Oxfam releases its annual report on inequality, asking many of the people present at Davos to pay more in taxes. Some 63 percent of the wealth generated since the pandemic has been captured by the richest 1 percent.

Disney CEO Bob Iger is on the defensive after Trian Partners, which holds a $900 million stake in the company, published a report critical of his management and asked shareholders for a boardroom seat. The entertainment giant has seen its share price fall close to 40 percent in the past year amid concerns over its costly streaming business. Also in the show, we look at the dramatic impact of the depreciation of the Egyptian pound on the country's poorest families.

Some 20,000 paramedics, ambulance drivers and support staff have gone on strike in England and Wales as a standoff over pay deepens. Unions are calling for better wages to deal with double-digit inflation. PM Rishi Sunak, meanwhile, is defending his government's plans to enforce minimum service levels in certain sectors, even during union-led walkouts. Also in the show: Japanese retailer Uniqlo gives staff a 40 percent pay rise, and crypto exchange Binance bucks the industry trend with a hiring spree.

The French government's plan to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 has many people worried, especially those who work in physically demanding professions. Though the government says there will be possibilities for early retirement based on working conditions, we meet French metalworkers who remain concerned about their future. Also in this bulletin, Uniqlo owner Fast Retailing is raising wages for its Japanese employees by 40 percent. A week earlier, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida had urged companies to do more to help people with inflation. But first, we look at the World Bank's gloomy forecast for the world economy in 2023.