Greater unity and collaboration needed to tackle global challenges, latest Expo 2020 global survey shows

• Collaboration, environmental justice and youth opportunities top list of priorities
• Survey polls 22,000 people across 24 markets as Expo prepares to open in October  

 Jeddah – The world needs greater unity and collaboration and must share innovations and expertise if humankind is to tackle its most pressing challenges, according to an overwhelming majority of respondents in a global study by Expo 2020 Dubai.

Her Excellency Reem Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and Director General of Expo 2020 Dubai, said: “As we learn to live with a changed world and rebuild from COVID-19, some things remain constant, such as our desire to reach out to one another, between communities and across borders, to enable progress through the exchange of knowledge, ideas and perspectives. We are eager to see a new era of global cooperation, one that equips us to deal with real-world challenges in the pursuit of sustainable prosperity for all.”

The 2021 survey of more than 22,000 people across 24 countries explored sentiment in a world irrevocably changed by COVID-19. Conducted in partnership with YouGov, it followed a similar study carried out in 2019, before the pandemic.

The number of respondents who are optimistic about their own future with regards to the Expo subthemes of Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability increased to 65 per cent[1], up from 60 per cent[2] in 2019.

Notably, 86 per cent of respondents said international cooperation was crucial to solving challenges such as the global health pandemic, while more than half said sharing expertise and innovations, and collaboration between individuals and communities were critical to overcoming humanity’s obstacles and helping to build a more prosperous future.

Her Excellency added: “We developed this study to better understand humanity can shape a brighter future for all. The results align closely with our own Expo programming, which commits to real-life impact across essential topics such as gender equality and women’s empowerment; inspiring and enabling our youth; and harnessing tech, innovation and creativity in the pursuit of a cleaner, safer, healthier tomorrow.”

When respondents were asked to rank their priorities for the future, increasing opportunities for youth emerged as the highest, followed by the meaningful involvement of all people with respect to environmental laws and policies (environmental justice[3]), and then international collaboration.

However, opinions differed across regions: respondents in Africa, South America, and the Middle East ranked increasing opportunities for youth as most important moving forward, whereas equal opportunity for women and girls is considered the priority in Australasia and North America. Interestingly, international collaboration was cited as the most crucial future priority among European respondents.

Despite only 32 per cent saying they are hopeful about humankind’s ability to combat climate change, three in five (61 per cent) said they were optimistic about the world’s sustainable future.

Comparing nations, optimism towards a global sustainable future was higher in countries such as Indonesia (82 per cent), India (72 per cent), the UAE (72 per cent) and Nigeria (69 per cent) versus Canada (42 per cent), Germany (36 per cent), France (35 per cent), UK (30 per cent) and Sweden (30 per cent), echoing the findings of the 2019 study.

Taking action towards a more sustainable future by integrating more eco-friendly practices and supporting local businesses stood out as important considerations for those surveyed. People in Poland (54 per cent), China (49 per cent), and France (48 per cent) were most likely to cut down on using single-use plastics, ahead of other measures such as powering their homes through renewable energy or adopting more environmentally conscious travel habits.

The survey delves into a range of subjects, also including health and wellness, sustainable travel, efficient food supply chains and the development of both urban and rural communities, all of which will be focuses of Expo 2020’s programming.

Under the mega-event’s Programme for People and Planet, Expo 2020’s participating countries, organisations, partners and visitors will collaborate to discuss future-proofing solutions to the world’s biggest challenges.

One of the first global mega-events to take place since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Expo 2020 will run from 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022, inviting visitors from around the world to join the making of a new world, with a six-month celebration of human creativity, innovation, progress and culture.

For further information about the latest global survey by Expo 2020, please visit www.expo2020dubai.com/en/news. 

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About Expo 2020 Dubai

From 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022, Expo 2020 Dubai will welcome visitors from every corner of the globe to join the making of a new world, as it brings together the planet in one place to reimagine tomorrow.

• With the purpose of ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’, Expo 2020 will be the world’s most impactful global incubator for new ideas, catalysing an exchange of new perspectives and inspiring action to deliver real-life solutions to real-world challenges
• Expo 2020 will be the biggest cultural gathering in the world, presenting a visually striking and emotionally inspiring 182 days, as more than 200 participants – including nations, multilateral organisations, businesses, and educational institutions, as well as millions of visitors – create the largest and most diverse World Expo ever
• Expo 2020’s subthemes of Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability will inspire visitors to preserve and protect our planet, explore new frontiers and build a better future for everyone
• For six months, Expo 2020 will be a must-visit family destination, with thousands of events, amazing exploratory experiences, and free entry for children up to age 18
• Expo is committed to building a more equitable and just world for everyone, while keeping visitors safe by following the latest guidance of the world’s leading medical, science and health experts
• Expo 2020 is the first World Expo to take place in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region, located on a 4.38 sqkm site adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South
• Built with a meaningful and measurable long-term legacy in mind, the Expo site will transform into District 2020 – a model global community that will rethink the cities of the future – after Expo 2020 closes its doors

How to cover Expo 2020 Dubai in person at event time or report on the event remotely

To attend Expo 2020 or cover Expo 2020 remotely using content and assets generated by Expo, you must be accredited.

To kick off your journey with Expo 2020, please ensure that you:

• Register to access our Media Information System, Tawassul at https://media.expo2020dubai.com.

Tawassul is regularly updated, providing the latest content assets, including press releases, photographs, audio and video, the electronic media kit, and information on broadcast and photography operations. It also provides you with important information and updates on facilities and services such as media accreditation, visa information for international accredited media, and permits. Access to other media-related systems (Media Asset Management System and Media Bookings System), which will be launched in Q2 2021, will only be permitted to accredited media (see below). Information about these systems can be found on Tawassul.

• Once registered, submit an Expo 2020 Media Accreditation expression of interest.

Within this expression of interest, please appoint an Accreditation Liaison Officer (ALO) from within your organisation who will act as the single point of contact with Expo 2020 for media accreditation. Following this, approved media organisations will be provided login details and instructions for the accreditation system to enable them to submit applications.

For support, contact Expo 2020 Dubai’s Media Services team at media.services@expo2020.ae.

Visit: www.expo2020dubai.com 

About World Expos

In 1851 the Crystal Palace was the centrepiece of London’s Great Exhibition – the first World Expo. It celebrated the man-made industrial wonders of a rapidly changing world. Architecture, contents and a theme, ‘Industry of All Nations’, were combined to create a big idea of nations meeting nations in shared technological and commercial progress. In more recent years, participants in World Expos, including governments, international organisations and companies, have gathered to find solutions to universal challenges and to promote their achievements, products, ideas, innovations, their national brand, and their nations as destinations for tourism, trade and investment.

World Expos are held under the auspices of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), the intergovernmental organisation responsible for overseeing and regulating international exhibitions (‘Expos’) and for fostering their core values of Education, Innovation and Cooperation. Today, four types of Expos are organised under the BIE’s auspices: World Expos, Specialised Expos, Horticultural Expos and the Triennale di Milano.

For media enquiries, please contact:
Ogilvy Expo 2020 KSA team
Yasser Al Hebsi, Account Director
ksaexpo2020dubai@ogilvy.com 

© Press Release 2021