In just over thirty years the world’s population will grow by 2.5 billion, the equivalent of doubling the population of China and India.
According to the World Resources Institute, the growing global population will not only mean an unprecedented demand for goods and services but will also put considerable strain on business.
This is largely due to a global middle class that is set to expand by 3 billion people (ten times the population of the United States) in twenty years.
Analysts are branding current business models ‘too resource-intensive and wasteful’ to meet future demand and remain within the planet’s environmental limits. If businesses can’t limit their resource consumption they won’t last.
Some of the world’s biggest companies such as Apple and General Motors have responded by joining the RE100, a collaborative initiative committed to renewable energy.
Still, if the current level of environmental degradation continues it will risk economic and human security.
Under the greatest threat is Africa.
