Questions for the Future
Encyclopedia
Questions for the Future is a debate
television
series aired periodically on financial news channels CNBC Europe
, CNBC Asia
and CNBC World
in the US, currently focusing on the subject of energy. 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
.
The first series of the programme was aired in 2005, consisting of six hour-long discussions on such topics as outsourcing
(recorded in Mumbai
) and globalisation
(from the World Economic Forum
in Davos
, Switzerland
). Presenting duties were shared between CNBC Europe anchors Geoff Cutmore, Ross Westgate
and Simon Hobbs. 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
s and sustainability
. 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.
Debate
Debate or debating is a method of interactive and representational argument. Debate is a broader form of argument than logical argument, which only examines consistency from axiom, and factual argument, which only examines what is or isn't the case or rhetoric which is a technique of persuasion...
television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
series aired periodically on financial news channels CNBC Europe
CNBC Europe
CNBC Europe is a business and financial news television channel, the pan-European sister station of CNBC. The network is owned and operated by NBC Universal and headquartered in London, where it shares the Adrian Smith-designed 10 Fleet Place building with Dow Jones...
, CNBC Asia
CNBC Asia
CNBC Asia is a business news television channel in Asia. A subsidiary of NBC Universal, it is the Asian service of the Consumer News and Business Channel . Its programmes originate from Singapore, Hong Kong and Sydney and has bureaus in Tokyo and Seoul....
and CNBC World
CNBC World
CNBC World is a business news channel operated in the United States by NBCUniversal.The channel broadcasts programs from CNBC's international channels. Specifically, most of the business day schedules of CNBC Europe and CNBC Asia are simulcasted. Several other pre-taped shows from CNBC's...
in the US, currently focusing on the subject of energy. The programmes are produced in association with Shell
Royal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell plc , commonly known as Shell, is a global oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the fifth-largest company in the world according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine and one of the six...
, which advertises
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
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
Audience
An audience is a group of people who participate in a show or encounter a work of art, literature , theatre, music or academics in any medium...
.
The first series of the programme was aired in 2005, consisting of six hour-long discussions on such topics as outsourcing
Outsourcing
Outsourcing is the process of contracting a business function to someone else.-Overview:The term outsourcing is used inconsistently but usually involves the contracting out of a business function - commonly one previously performed in-house - to an external provider...
(recorded in Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
) and globalisation
Globalization
Globalization refers to the increasingly global relationships of culture, people and economic activity. Most often, it refers to economics: the global distribution of the production of goods and services, through reduction of barriers to international trade such as tariffs, export fees, and import...
(from the World Economic Forum
World Economic Forum
The World Economic Forum is a Swiss non-profit foundation, based in Cologny, Geneva, best known for its annual meeting in Davos, a mountain resort in Graubünden, in the eastern Alps region of Switzerland....
in Davos
Davos
Davos is a municipality in the district of Prättigau/Davos in the canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. It has a permanent population of 11,248 . Davos is located on the Landwasser River, in the Swiss Alps, between the Plessur and Albula Range...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
). Presenting duties were shared between CNBC Europe anchors Geoff Cutmore, Ross Westgate
Ross Westgate
Ross Westgate is an English financial journalist for CNBC Europe in London, where he is a co-anchor of the global business news programme, Worldwide Exchange Ross Westgate is an English financial journalist for CNBC Europe in London, where he is a co-anchor of the global business news programme,...
and Simon Hobbs. 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
World energy resources and consumption
]World energy consumption in 2010: over 5% growthEnergy markets have combined crisis recovery and strong industry dynamism. Energy consumption in the G20 soared by more than 5% in 2010, after the slight decrease of 2009. This strong increase is the result of two converging trends...
, biofuel
Biofuel
Biofuel is a type of fuel whose energy is derived from biological carbon fixation. Biofuels include fuels derived from biomass conversion, as well as solid biomass, liquid fuels and various biogases...
s and sustainability
Sustainability
Sustainability is the capacity to endure. For humans, sustainability is the long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of union, an interdependent relationship and mutual responsible position with all living and non...
. 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.