Vision 2050 was a two year project of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) involving 29 of their member companies. The focus is on “the role of business for tomorrow’s constrained but sustainable world”. Participating companies contributed through workshops, virtual working groups and feedback throughout the project. The final report was presented at the World CEO Forum in New Delhi, India, in February 2010.

The AGS was asked to assist via professor level in reviews of drafts and research of various themes by students. The bulk of the work involved producing half page summaries on topics such as smart grids, prospects for CCS, carbon prices, eco cities and food and water challenges. From Chalmers, this was done by Profs Morrison, Malbert, Johnsson and Wirsenius, and by PhD student Eoin Ó Broin. ETH, MIT and University of Tokyo faculty and experts also contributed, including significant inputs from Steve Connors, AGS Energy Pathways coordinator, and the project work of an MIT S-Lab student group.

The report recognises that the big global sustainability challenges of limits to biocapacity, including energy, water, biodiversity, ecosystem services, will be the key drivers of business models. Businesses that adopt robust actions, policies and investments to move rapidly onto a sustainable pathway will have opportunities. The importance of a complimentary role for government in assuring progress towards a “true cost for everything” is also stressed.

by Eoin Ó Broin, PhD student at Energy Conversion, Chalmers.

Download the report from WBCSD webpage: Vision 2050 report