Steady population growth, combined with changing consumption patterns, will continue to fuel demand for natural resources. Landscapes are deeply modified by increasing urbanization. New skills and higher productivity are needed to compensate for the decline of the working-age population in the largest countries. New challenges require new approaches.

Thanks to better access to quality healthcare, the global population is ageing. Soon there will be more people over 60 years than children under 15, generating increased demand for health care solutions. Populations living a longer healthy life, on the back of improved hygiene, nutrition and living conditions, have new needs. New opportunities arise in many sectors including health care, technology and leisure.

With technological breakthroughs continuously emerging, our environment at home or at work is increasingly digitalized and automated. Industries are revolutionized by technological innovation. Automation and robotics, AI, Internet of Things , virtual and augmented reality are driving a wave of disruption across all industries. Efficiency gains facilitate the development of sustainable solutions to challenges such as labour shortage and resource scarcity.

Major economies and companies around the globe have pledged to become climate neutral by 2050 or later. To meet the emergency of the energy transition, investments in renewable energy infrastructure need to accelerate. Urgent action is also needed to limit greenhouse gas emissions causing the temperature rise and a higher frequency of extreme weather events. Industries such as low carbon transports and their supporting infrastructures should benefit from these investments, as well as energy efficiency programs across buildings, industries, and transportation.

Our natural resources are threatened by population growth and increasing consumption. Our current economic model needs to be reviewed to acknowledge for its negative externalities, such as pollution and major climate disruption. Circular economy, which revolves around the more virtuous model of “Reuse, Recycle, Regenerate”, offers a solution by reducing waste and maximizing resource efficiency. Its potential opportunities are immense.