World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) It disseminates information about trends and disruptions that will affect business in the next decade.
The research conducted by the WBCSD In partnership with Volans, it provides businesses with insights that can aid in the development of robust strategies. This applies both to rapid responses resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and to ongoing changes (predictable and unpredictable) in the operating environment over the next decade.
The document goes beyond sustainability challenges, exploring more broadly the trends and disruptions that will shape the decade and considering how they may affect companies' ability to operate successfully (as a precursor to operating sustainably).
Based on the analysis, a set of trends was developed that businesses need to address. Twelve macro-trends were selected, encompassing demographics, the environment, technology, and politics. Furthermore, lessons learned from responses to the 2008-9 financial crisis were analyzed to show how COVID-19 responses may affect the next 10 years and beyond.
At the The consequences of COVID-19 on the decade ahead There is also an initial overview of the various ways in which companies can support post-pandemic recovery efforts.
“The COVID-19 pandemic is clearly a profoundly disruptive event, with far-reaching consequences for global health, politics, the economy, and much more. But it also has the potential to be a catalyst for positive change – an opportunity to address the broken norms and incentives at the heart of our current capitalist model and make substantial reforms. Volans was delighted to work with the WBCSD Vision 2050 team on these issue briefs, exploring what the next decade holds for us and how we can better rebuild post-COVID-19,” says Louise Kjellerup Roper, CEO of Volans.
The analysis produced by the WBCSD is part of the Project Vision 2050, which will release further summaries in the coming months to help companies meet the challenges of responding to the socioeconomic turbulence triggered by the novel coronavirus, while maintaining (and increasing) ambition toward sustainable development goals.
“Together, these issue summaries provide businesses with a clear view of what the 2020s may hold, so they can develop more effective strategies for how to respond to and progress toward our Vision 2050 of more than 9 billion people living well within planetary boundaries. Thinking about how the future unfolds will help businesses better leverage the momentum created by tailwinds and be more resilient and adaptable in the face of inevitable headwinds,” says Peter Bakker, President and CEO of WBCSD.
Text produced using data from WBCSD.
