Climate, COVID, China: Takeaways from online Davos event

GENEVA (AP) — Government and business leaders have urged cooperation on the world's biggest issues — climate change, the coronavirus pandemic and the economic recovery — at the World Economic Forum's virtual gathering.

Speeches and discussions from the likes of Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres moved online this week after COVID-19 concerns delayed the forum's annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland. Critics regularly fault the Davos event for hosting elites touting high-minded but often empty goals deemed out of touch with regular people.

As usual, big ideas were debated, but no concrete deals emerged. The forum announced Friday that it plans to hold its in-person gathering May 22-26 after two years of delays.

Here are some takeaways from the online event:

CLIMATE CHANGE

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz vowed to use his country's Group of Seven presidency to have industrial nations lead a “paradigm shift in international climate policy."

The new head of Europe's biggest economy said Wednesday that the “climate club” would agree on “joint minimum standards." Its goals are already part of the Paris climate accord, including limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels.

Scholz said the club could seek to achieve those goals “by pricing carbon and preventing carbon leakage” — designed to stop companies from shifting carbon-heavy industries to countries with looser emissions rules.

Others urged help for developing nations. Guterres called for debt relief to wean them off coal, and Latin American leaders said funding for green agendas is critical.

With Africa “the most negatively affected” by climate change though the continent contributes “the least” to it, Nigerian Vice President Yemi...