Why it matters

Fundamental changes in governance structures, economic frameworks, business and human behavior are required to achieve green growth and move the world toward sustainability. We will also need innovation at unparalleled levels, far beyond what we currently know.

So, what would a sustainable world look like in 2050? How can we realize it? What role can business play in ensuring more rapid progress toward that world?

The WBCSD’s Business Role Focus Area explores the actions of companies in realizing the transformations needed to achieve sustainable development.

Vision 2050: laying out a pathway

The WBCSD’s Vision 2050 report suggests a pathway to connect this sustainable future with the present. Critical elements include:

• Addressing the development needs of billions of people, enabling education and economic empowerment, and developing more eco-efficient solutions, lifestyles and behavior;
   
• Incorporating the cost of externalities, starting with carbon, ecosystem services and water;
   
• Doubling of agricultural output without increasing the amount of land or water used;
   
• Halting deforestation and increasing yields from planted forests;
   
• Halving carbon emissions worldwide, with greenhouse gas emissions peaking around 2020 through a shift to low-carbon energy systems and highly improved demand-side energy efficiency;
   
• Providing universal access to low-carbon mobility;
   
• Delivering a four-to-tenfold improvement in the use of resources and materials.

Vast opportunities

The transformation represents opportunities in a range of business segments as the global challenges of growth, urbanization, scarcity and environmental change become key strategic drivers in the next decade.

In natural resources, health and education alone, the order of magnitude of some of these could be around USD$ 0.5 to 1.5 trillion per annum in 2020, rising to between USD$ 3 to 10 trillion per annum in 2050 at today’s prices, which is around 1.5 to 4.5% of world GDP in 2050.

Opportunities range from developing and maintaining low-carbon, zero-waste cities and infrastructure to improving and managing biocapacity, ecosystems, lifestyles and livelihoods.

Enabling these changes will also create opportunities for finance, information/communication technology and partnerships.

Work program activities

The program focuses on two areas:

Accelerate the green race Vision 2050 implementation

Some companies and countries are already engaged in the green race to become the leading suppliers of resource- and carbon-efficient solutions. The green race complements Vision 2050, which can either serve as a platform for companies to discuss their sustainability strategies, or as a tool to enable a dialogue with governments and society on how to achieve a sustainable future.

WBCSD efforts would also formalize input into various international processes such as the G20, Rio+20, OECD and the European Union.

Policy development / cross cutting efforts

This second area will explore the role of the WBCSD in influencing policy and specifically in exploring the key elements and factors that need to be in place by 2020 in order to reach Vision 2050. The objective is to deepen WBCSD’s policy perspectives on key sustainability issues and cross cutting issues that are not addressed elsewhere in the work program.