Closing remarks at the investors forum

Ladies, gentlemen, colleagues and friends

Let me begin by sincerely thanking all of you — participants, presenters, and partners — for being here, and for your continued support to WMO. Your views have shed light on how what deeply our work impacts all aspects of the economy and of our daily lives.

I started this Investors Dialogue with a question about what is the most popular search item. The answer was the weather. And google confirmed it.

I would like to close it with a story. And that is also about the weather.

It’s the story of Melissa.

Melissa started life as a small tropical storm in the Central Caribbean Sea. The 13th tropical storm of the season.

She grew in strength and – under a public safety system agreed by WMO Members – she was given a name, chosen by the WMO Hurricane Committee.

Yes, we also name hurricanes.

WMO’s Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre Miami first issued advisories on 21 October. These advisories were fed to national meteorological services, governments, humanitarian organizations and communities in the region.

As the storm grew, so did the detail and accuracy of the forecasts. And so did the preparations on the ground –closing national airports to positioning food and shelter in vulnerable communities in Haiti.

This weekend Melissa exploded to a Category 5 strength.

Melissa will break many records. But loss of life will be minimized, thanks to our collaboration. Initial reports indicate this is the case.

And why?

Because of the power of prediction.

Because of international cooperation built on shared data and trusted systems.

Because of national action and community mobilization grounded in science and trust.

Melissa is a reminder of why the world needs WMO. Every day, our forecasts, data, and climate intelligence underpin decisions that protect lives, livelihoods, and economies.

As we conclude this Forum, we are only getting started.

The past two days have shown what becomes possible when science, policy, and finance align behind a shared mission.

And we have listened — to your views, and to your needs.

You represent the private sector in all its diversity — from finance and insurance to shipping, agriculture, and technology. Yet you all share a common challenge: to manage risk, to strengthen resilience, and to secure reliable business models.

Achieving that depends on access to weather, water, and climate intelligence — information that is actionable, trusted, interoperable, and standardized. That is precisely what WMO and its Members deliver every day.

Together, we can make your supply chains more reliable, and your operations more secure.

Your participation in the WMO Commons will be key to delivering this.

As we move toward the formal launch in 2026, we invite the champions in this room to step up and join us. You can help us shape this initiative now — to make sure it serves both global public good and private sector innovation.

The work begins now, not as a moment, but as a movement.

I would like to finish my concluding remarks with a fact: 

In July 2023, a supercell storm hit the Swiss town of La Chaux de Fonds with wind gusts of more than 200 km/h. This storm lasted just over six minutes and - according to Swiss authorities - caused damages of more than 100 million Swiss francs. This is more than the annual budget of WMO. 

Ladies and gentlemen. This is indeed Food For Thought.

And with that I invite you to join us for lunch.