Cooperation in a fragmented world

Amcor CEO Ron Delia shares his reflections from the annual World Economic Forum

A record number of participants gathered in Davos this January for the 53^rd edition of the World Economic Forum (WEF), where public and private stakeholders gather to share collaborative ideas for some of the more complex global challenges we face.

Global cooperation for complex challenges
WEF brings together thinkers and leaders from the worlds of government, business, academia, philanthropy and culture to review lessons learned from the past, understand the linkages between important challenges of the present, and consider opportunities to advance toward a better future.

Under the theme of “Cooperation in a fragmented world,” this year’s event happened in a complex context that includes high global inflation, the risk of recession, lingering effects of the pandemic, energy supply concerns and the ongoing challenge of climate change. To advance, many of the discussions highlighted two possible unlocks: first, building the resilience of our societies and economies to enable more long-term, sustainable growth; and second, accelerating the development of skills that will be needed in this future — in particular, around sustainable innovation, new technology and energy transition.

Amcor’s opportunity to contribute
As a leading packaging company with global reach, the themes of the forum are remarkably relevant. Collaboration and resilience are not abstract concepts, but daily realities for us: we establish close partnerships with suppliers and customers that enable us to maintain resilient supply chains, providing vital stability in times of market disruption. We have carefully built a business that is exposed almost exclusively to healthcare and staple consumer goods – resilient segments in which we can be a safe haven for customers and investors alike.

Similarly, we have embraced a leadership role in the packaging industry on sustainability. Five years ago, we shared our pledge to develop all our packaging to be recyclable or reusable by 2025, and we have also made significant commitments to reach net-zero emissions and accelerate towards a circular economy. An important part of our approach is working directly with governments and non-governmental organizations to help address the challenges of recycling along the entire value chain.

We are also passionate about and uniquely positioned to offer more sustainable solutions that help our customers progress their sustainability agendas. That is made possible by our relentless focus on research and development for more sustainable solutions.

We will continue our work to break new ground on packaging technology, and to collaborate and advocate for better access to effective recycling infrastructure. We will also continue to call for and support increased collaboration across public and private sectors to make a lasting global impact and build a more sustainable future.

Learn more about Amcor's commitment to sustainability.