A Roundtable to rethink the post-COVID-19 era

How can we seize the opportunity of the post-pandemic recovery to build a sustainable future?

A roundtable on COVID-19 & Climate was held on Tuesday 27 April by the Geneva School of Economics and Management and the Junior Entreprise Genève, in collaboration with Ernst & Young (EY).

The focus of the discussion was on COVID-19’s impact on climate change, posing the question: "How can we turn the post-pandemic recovery into a golden opportunity to build a more sustainable future?”. The debate featured Bachelor students in Economics and Management, GSEM professors Michele Pellizzari and Julien Daubanes, and EY Sector Leader Benjamin Teufel.

The panel examined opportunities presented by the pandemic to mitigate climate change through three aspects: transport, food, and labor.

On transport, participants discussed the use of electric vehicles and bikes, free public transport, and car-free cities. The topic of food raised questions about global and domestic supply chains, as well as the proposed carbon tax. On the subject of labor, the future of the gig economy and gig workers, and the dichotomy between people wanting to work from home and those who want to return to the office was explored.

The session was interactive with questions being asked of the audience during the discussion, and then from the audience in the form of a Q&A session.

To rewatch the Roundtable: