No, the WEF is not forcing people to move to smart cities

Context

On The Glenn Beck Radio Program, Beck claims that the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) “plan is to force everybody into cities and leave the land alone, as stated on the WEF website, under the section “smart cities.” Beck further claims that the forced relocation to cities is because of the need to preserve 30 percent of all land in the U.S. by 2030, which means that people can no longer live on land but are mandated to move to smart cities. This clip of the show has been widely circulated on Facebook and TikTok.

Beck is a U.S. conservative commentator and radio host known for contributing to conspiracies. In the video, Beck also claims that smart cities will limit people’s allowed activities and food amount. Logically Facts has previously refuted these claims. 

In Fact

The WEF website on smart cities does not say anything about making people move to cities. It does not have the power to force sovereign governments to do so. The WEF webpage in the video is about the WEF-led G20 Global Smart Cities Alliance on Technology Governance. According to the website, the objective is “ensuring responsible and ethical use of smart city technologies” to “ensure that data collected in public places is used safely and ethically, mitigate potential risks and foster public trust.” It is a global initiative to reduce risks associated with smart technologies used in cities and urban environments. 

Regarding environmental conservation, the WEF has reported on the need to protect 30 percent of the land by 2030, following a proposal from an international team of scientists known as the Global Deal for Nature. The WEF does not lead this initiative. Still, governments have taken it up, including the Biden administration’s “30 x 30” 2021 commitment to conserve at least 30 percent of land and water areas by 2030. The ongoing program’s initial report “details vision for a 10-year, locally led and voluntary nationwide effort to restore and conserve America’s lands, waters, and wildlife.” Conservation refers to protecting the environment by responsibly using natural resources, not vacating 30 percent of the land from humans. 

The conservation efforts align with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, signed by 196 parties at the U.N. Biodiversity Conference in December 2022. No evidence exists that the WEF can claim credit for the national or U.N.-led efforts.

The Verdict

The WEF website does not say people are forced to move to cities. Instead, the G20 Global Smart Cities Alliance on Technology Governance initiative aims to reduce risks associated with smart technologies used in cities and urban environments. The U.S. 30x30 initiative is committed to conserving, sustaining, and managing at least 30 percent of U.S. land and water areas by 2030. It does not mean that this land will be inhabited. No evidence exists that WEF drives these biodiversity initiatives. Therefore, we have marked this claim as false.