Gerd Müller

Can industrial growth and climate action go hand in hand? Do higher living standards in developing countries have to mean more polluting, fossil-fuel dependent industries? Or is a low-carbon alternative possible? As the world grapples with climate change, economic inequality, and rapid technological shifts, next week’s Global Industry Summit will tackle ...

From organic farms to AI chips with a nose: UN summit showcases solutions for transforming the Global South The UN’s Global Industry Summit underlined the benefits of partnerships for companies in the Global South on Monday, demonstrating ways that AI – if used responsibly – can provide solutions to some of the most intractable problems faced by business leaders.

Our second thematic day at the Global Industry Summit is dedicated to women’s empowerment and their essential role in the economy and industry. Equal rights, equal access to education, training and finance, and equal opportunities in the workplace and in professional life are fundamental. When women are empowered, economies become stronger and more resilient. This year also marks the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration. Progress has been made, but not enough.

This morning, we heard an inspiring address by Her Highness Princess Mashael Saud Al-Shalaan. She highlighted fast progress that has been made in Saudi Arabia's development and the significant progress made in providing equal opportunities for women - from equal pay to more female participation in STEM education than male ( she said "above"). She also strongly urged for more global efforts to level the playing field so that women everywhere can show their full potential. She stressed that, not only equality, but also gender equity should be at the heart of industrial policy and that unlocking the potential of 50% of the world’s economies is simply sound economics.
She also noted that some of the greatest obstacles are the stories women are told and the ones they come to believe about themselves. Her Highness invited the audience to truly listen to women’s voices: to understand their needs, recognize the barriers they confront, and support them in rewriting those stories - keeping what empowers them and changing what holds them back.