Latest news with #globalchange
Washington Post
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
State Department fires remaining employees who worked on climate change
The State Department on Friday fired the remaining staff working in the office responsible for international climate policy, including annual U.N. negotiations related to climate treaties, according to three people familiar with the matter. Most of the staff in the Office of Global Change had left voluntarily after President Donald Trump took office and moved rapidly to pull the United States out of international climate talks. Nearly a dozen people who remained on staff were fired Friday, and the office will be shuttered as part of the wider downsizing of the department, the people familiar with the firings said.
Forbes
08-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Can Customer Service Solve The Global Consumer Confidence Crisis?
We are in a time of immense global change. From individual consumers to businesses right through to Governments, this lack of uncertainty is damaging confidence and stymying growth and prosperity. The global consumer confidence crisis Consumer confidence and satisfaction data shows this sentiment isn't unique to certain regions or demographics, but is being felt across countries with diverse economies and cultures globally. According to the OECD, global consumer confidence has never fully rebounded to the consistent levels seen before the pandemic. In the US, the Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index fell 5.4 points in June from May, with consistent decline across all age groups, political affiliations, and incomes, demonstrating how this feeling cuts across all parts of society. All of this data and the constant stream of negative news means it can feel like we are in a persistent decline. However, despite this persistent negative sentiment, I believe things can improve if we start focusing on the right things as business leaders. When consumers are conscious of challenging economic times, they may hold off buying their next big ticket item or booking a holiday. Similarly, when businesses feel pressure and sense uncertainty, they halt investment and chose to freeze spending, thereby often exacerbating the problem and leading to broader economic stagnation. How to break the downward spiral We need to break this downward spiral. One way to do this is to seize on encouraging signs of hope and drive up a sense of positivity. Today, the latest iteration of the customer satisfaction and consumer confidence survey, the UK Customer Satisfaction Index (UKCSI), is published and shows some of these positive signs we may be seeking. The UK's most comprehensive independent index of its kind, it reveals that over a third of British people (35%) are planning to make a major purchase in the next 12 months. This follows a period where many consumers delayed major purchases, including home improvements, holidays, furniture, and appliances, because of low confidence in their current finances, economic uncertainty, and broader inflationary pressures. News like this offers an opportunity to shift momentum, inspiring companies to rethink and drive forwards growth through proactive problem solving and investment in innovative solutions. Photo byDouble down on investment in customers One way that businesses can improve consumer confidence and build momentum is through doubling down on its investment in the customers. The UKCSI also highlights that 83% of consumers would be more likely to follow through with these big-ticket purchases if they receive exceptional customer service. This means staff being knowledgeable and well-trained – which is cited as the most important factor for defining good customer service – and the customer journey being easy to navigate and frictionless, no matter what technology or touchpoint is used. With such long-term uncertainty, customers are rightly cautious about parting with their money. It's no coincidence that when we are more financially constrained, we gravitate to our favorite brands. Trust is critical. Individuals want to feel secure with the brands they buy from, and they will often prioritize this feeling over price, even when budgets are tighter. It's up to businesses create and maintain this trust and loyalty with their customers, by remaining in tune with their needs and aligning with their values. This requires putting the customer at the heart of proactive growth strategies and embedding a culture of service, ensuring that colleagues all across your business know the customer inside out. Businesses now also have a huge opportunity not available in the past – they can capitalize on the best of what AI can do for the customer experience in terms of efficiency and personalization, and balance it with real life, human interactions – and getting this fusion of technology and human contact will be critical to a strong, sustainable service strategy. It's the companies that really focus and invest in their people, good technology, supply chains and experiences in these challenging times that will retain and grow loyal followings. The opportunity is there, and it's been proven to work. We just need to capture it by inspiring people and making them feel cared for. This is what will break the consumer confidence cycle and be the catalyst for sustainable growth and that crucial optimism we are all seeking.
CTV News
02-07-2025
- Science
- CTV News
Protein innovation with global impact
Winnipeg Watch Elena Gomez Haro from the Sustainable Protein Symposium shares how Manitoba is driving global change in protein research.
UAE Moments
29-06-2025
- Sport
- UAE Moments
Dubai to Host Global Sports Powerhouse Event This December
Get ready, sports fans — Dubai is officially hosting the World Sports Summit from December 29 to 30, 2025, in what's set to become the largest global gathering of sports stars, decision-makers, and industry insiders. The announcement came from Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, who shared the exciting news on X (formerly Twitter). Hosted by the Dubai Sports Council, the summit will bring together an all-star lineup of athletes, coaches, investors, policymakers, and innovators at Madinat Jumeirah to explore how sport can drive global change. 'The summit will offer a global platform to reinforce the role of sport in uniting communities, inspiring future generations, driving economic growth, and nurturing talent locally, regionally, and globally,' said Sheikh Hamdan. What's on the Agenda? The two-day mega event will feature: Keynote speeches from top athletes and thought leaders Panel discussions covering everything from grassroots growth to global partnerships Interactive workshops and specialised meetings aimed at designing the future of global sports With the theme Designing the Future of Global Sports, the summit aims to position Dubai as a leading force in shaping the next era of international sporting culture and development. Why Dubai? With its unmatched infrastructure, global connectivity, and history of successfully hosting major events, Dubai is ready to welcome the world's best and brightest. From Formula 1 and UFC to international football and tennis championships, the city has proven time and again it can deliver on a global stage. Hamdan's Legacy of Fitness and Sport Sheikh Hamdan, a longtime champion of fitness and an active participant in sports like freediving, spearfishing, and Spartan Races, continues to lead by example. His brainchild, the Dubai Fitness Challenge, launched in 2017, has grown into one of the region's largest fitness movements — uniting communities and encouraging residents to embrace a more active lifestyle. One of the most iconic DFC moments? When Sheikh Zayed Road turns into a giant running track — an unforgettable sight that blends sport, city life, and community spirit. With the World Sports Summit just months away, Dubai is ready to once again bring the world together — this time, in the name of sport, progress, and inspiration.
Zawya
10-06-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Kearney's ‘Nexus Point' report: 6 global forces of change converging in the Middle East through 2030
Dubai, UAE – Global consultancy Kearney has released its latest report, Nexus Point: The Middle East at the Center of Global Change, highlighting six global forces of change facing the region through 2030 – and how decisions in the region will shape the global trajectory of those forces. As geopolitical realignments, economic fragmentation, and climate shifts accelerate, the Middle East is leveraging bold diplomacy, disciplined economic policy, and technological innovation to emerge as a key architect of the world's future. The report outlines six key forces driving global change - geopolitical entropy, geoeconomic fragmentation, atomizing climate response, macroeconomic divergence, reweaving of the social fabric, and accelerated knowledge creation - and explores how the leading countries of the Middle East are both navigating and shaping these forces. 'The Middle East sits at the very center of this period of intensifying change - geographically and demographically, geopolitically and economically,' said Rudolph Lohmeyer, Senior Partner, Global Business Policy Council & Head of the National Transformations Institute, Part of the Kearney Foresight Network. 'Over the next five years, the global forces outlined in this report will increasingly converge on the region, positioning it at as a crucial nexus point of disruptive transformation. The region's leading countries have seen these forces coming - and they have relentlessly prepared. To the extent they succeed in navigating, harnessing, and capitalizing on these forces, not only will they accelerate their own transformations and that of the wider region, but they will also shape the global trajectory of these dynamics in the direction of order, stability, and inclusive progress.' The Middle East's growing global influence According to the report, the Middle East is evolving from a global crossroads into an active architect of change, leveraging its economic strength, strategic investments, and geopolitical influence to shape global markets and policy decisions. The region's economic transformation is accelerating through diversification strategies including Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, the UAE's AI-led innovation agenda, and Egypt's infrastructure investments - efforts that are significantly expanding the region's global economic footprint. At the same time, the region's sovereign wealth funds are projected to grow from $4 trillion to $8 trillion by 2030, placing Middle Eastern economies among the world's most influential financial powerhouses. The region also holds a central position in global trade and energy, with nearly 12% of international trade and 20% of oil supply flowing through its corridors. And with over $75 billion committed to clean energy by 2030 and AI expected to contribute $320 billion to regional GDP, the Middle East is becoming a major force in digital innovation and sustainability. In addition, the leading countries of the region are driving bold diplomatic innovation to address critical global and regional challenges. This has included efforts to bring Iran and Syria into a new regional security architecture, the formation of regional coalitions to advance solutions to the ongoing crisis in Gaza and recently supporting efforts to broker a ceasefire between India and Pakistan. The global strategic centrality of the region was also on display during U.S. President Donald Trump's May 2025 tour of the area given not just the unprecedented economic and defense agreements reached, but also the deep collaboration on key global and regional diplomatic issues. The visit confirmed the increasingly pivotal role of the region in shaping the future of the international order. Shaping the Next Era of Global Stability The report emphasizes that decisions made in the Middle East between now and 2030 will have a profound impact on global geopolitical, economic, social and technological dynamics. In the context of the current historic critical juncture, the region's ability and intention to foster geopolitical stability, drive inclusive economic growth, fuel transformative innovation, and bridge international divides will be of decisive importance. The full report Nexus Point: The Middle East at the Center of Global Change is available for download here: Nexus Point: The Middle East at the Center of Global Change About Kearney Since 1926, Kearney has been a leading management consulting firm and trusted partner to three-quarters of the Fortune Global 500 and governments around the world. With a presence across more than 40 countries, our people make us who we are. We work impact first, tackling your toughest challenges with original thinking and a commitment to making change happen together. By your side, we deliver—value, results, impact. Impact First promo video:
