Bertrand Badré, renowned financial expert and exclusive speaker at TRUSTECH 2023, delivered a thought-provoking conference addressing the complex dynamics shaping our world today. Badré opened by highlighting the contradictory forces at play—cynicism versus the desire for change—amid a backdrop of numerous crises, both internal and external.
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One major concern highlighted by Badré was the alarming lack of progress towards the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, with only 13% on track and 87% lagging behind or regressing. This crisis intersects with a shifting financial paradigm, marked by rising interest rates, inflation, and the end of quantitative easing.
The conference delved into the challenges posed by AI, emphasizing the dual nature of its impact—potentially saving or destroying the world, as witnessed in recent debates surrounding OpenAI. Geopolitical tensions, social alarms, and a crisis of trustfurther compound the global landscape.
Badré then traced the roots of current discussions back 50 years, highlighting pivotal moments in 1970, 1971, and 1972. The suspension of the gold standard by President Richard Nixon in 1971 and economist Milton Friedman's argument for profit maximization in 1970 shaped the trajectory of modern economic thought. The Club of Rome's 1972 report warned against unlimited growth in a finite world, foreshadowing today's unresolved questions.
The financial model that prevailed post-1989 faced a severe test during the 2007-2012 global financial crisis, exposing flaws in innovation, regulation, and globalization. This crisis of trust, coupled with geopolitical tensions and the aftermath of the Iraq War, set the stage for the current challenges.
Badré acknowledged post-2015 regulatory efforts but critiqued their limited impact on addressing root causes. He highlighted pivotal conferences in 2015, such as the Paris Accord on climate, the New York Accord on Sustainable Development Goals, and the Partnership for Development in Addis Ababa.
However, Badré expressed deep concern over the failure to meet these goals, with only 13% progress and the COP conferencemark t imminent. He argued that the current global system, established in the 1970s and 1980s, remains neutral and insufficient for the challenges at hand.
Badré called for a fundamental reevaluation of our economic and governance operating systems. He emphasized the need to move beyond profit-centric models, suggesting a shift towards profitable solutions for global issues. He proposed a "mark to planet" accounting system, integrating extra-financial factors into financial evaluations.
The speaker concluded by offering 12 principles for navigating the complexities of finance and technology. These principles called for humility, holistic thinking, resilience, collaboration between public and private sectors, and a focus on the shared goals of humanity. He urged a shift from "more and more" to "better and better" and stressed the importance of sustainable development—leaving the world as we found it for future generations.
In essence, Bertrand Badré's conference at TRUSTECH 2023 served as a compelling call to action, urging a comprehensive reevaluation of our economic and technological systems in the face of global challenges.