Questions for the Future is a
debate television
Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...
series aired periodically on financial news channels
CNBC Europe,
CNBC Asia
CNBC Asia is a pay television business channel based in Singapore. A subsidiary of NBCUniversal, it is the Asian service of CNBC (Consumer News and Business Channel). Its programmes originate from Singapore. It was officially opening ceremony at ...
and
CNBC World
CNBC World is an American pay television business news channel operated by the NBCUniversal News Group which provides coverage of world markets alongside the domestic CNBC service, using programmes from CNBC's international networks based in Euro ...
in the US, currently focusing on the subject of
energy
In physics, energy (from Ancient Greek: ἐνέργεια, ''enérgeia'', “activity”) is the quantitative property that is transferred to a body or to a physical system, recognizable in the performance of work and in the form of heat a ...
. The programmes are produced in association with
Shell, which
advertises before, during and after each edition, although the company states that CNBC retains full editorial control over their content. Each episode is recorded in a different location around the world, normally with some connection to the topic of discussion. The debate is initially held among a panel of experts, before being opened up to the studio
audience
An audience is a group of people who participate in a show or encounter a work of art, literature (in which they are called "readers"), theatre, music (in which they are called "listeners"), video games (in which they are called "players"), or ...
.
The first series of the programme was aired in 2005, consisting of six hour-long discussions on such topics as
outsourcing
Outsourcing is an agreement in which one company hires another company to be responsible for a planned or existing activity which otherwise is or could be carried out internally, i.e. in-house, and sometimes involves transferring employees and ...
(recorded in
Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
) and
globalisation
Globalization, or globalisation (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences), is the process of interaction and integration among people, companies, and governments worldwide. The term ''globalization'' first appeared in the early 20t ...
(from the
World Economic Forum
The World Economic Forum (WEF) is an international non-governmental and lobbying organisation based in Cologny, canton of Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded on 24 January 1971 by German engineer and economist Klaus Schwab. The foundation, ...
in
Davos
, neighboring_municipalities= Arosa, Bergün/Bravuogn, Klosters-Serneus, Langwies, S-chanf, Susch
, twintowns =
}
Davos (, ; or ; rm, ; archaic it, Tavate) is an Alpine resort town and a municipality in the Prättigau/Davos R ...
,
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
). Presenting duties were shared between CNBC Europe anchors
Geoff Cutmore
Geoff Cutmore (born 23 December 1966) is an English financial journalist for CNBC Europe in London. He presents CNBC Europe's breakfast news programme '' Squawk Box Europe'', and has done so since 1999. He's also an occasional relief presenter of ...
,
Ross Westgate
Ross Westgate (born 1967) is an English financial journalist and businessman.
Biography
Before studying for a postgraduate degree in Broadcast Journalism, he worked for 6 years in the City of London, where he was trained as a stockbroker, working ...
and
Simon Hobbs
Simon Hobbs is a British-born journalist who became an American citizen in 2018. He worked for business news channel CNBC for 18 years, first in London and then at the New York Stock Exchange and for five years he was a co-anchor of the 10am hour ...
. A one-off special on the topic of energy consumption followed from the January 2006 WEF meeting.
The format of the programme was altered slightly for the second series in 2006, with the running time of the shows cut to 30 minutes and the topics of conversation confined to aspects of energy such as
energy demand,
biofuel
Biofuel is a fuel that is produced over a short time span from biomass, rather than by the very slow natural processes involved in the formation of fossil fuels, such as oil. According to the United States Energy Information Administration (E ...
s and
sustainability
Specific definitions of sustainability are difficult to agree on and have varied in the literature and over time. The concept of sustainability can be used to guide decisions at the global, national, and individual levels (e.g. sustainable livi ...
. Cutmore became the permanent presenter of the programme.
This format has been retained in the third series, aired in 2007.
Since the inception of ''Questions for the Future'', each episode has been preceded by a 'themed week' of short reports related to the subject to be discussed, filmed on location by the presenter. These reports are aired during CNBC's regular live broadcasts.
References
External links
''Questions for the Future'' official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Questions For The Future
CNBC Europe original programming
CNBC Asia original programming
British television talk shows
2005 British television series debuts
Business-related television series