What does the Global Future hold?

What: Webcast series followed by Q&A sessions

When: 10th May - 30th June, 2021

Who: UNEP/International Resource Panel

The UNEP/International Resource Panel is inviting leading thinkers to present possible and plausible futures on a selection of topics. They will discuss the key risks and opportunities in each field and how they think such risks could be managed and opportunities achieved.

The webcast series ‘What does the Global Future hold?’ is open to the public. It includes talks followed by Q&A sessions with speakers. 

Please click on the episode title to register and to learn more.

Eps 1: Population and Demography (10 May, 9:00 CEST) 

• Wolfgang Lutz, Senior Program Advisor, Population and Just Societies Program, International Institute for Applied System Analysis (IIASA), Austria

Eps 2: Urbanization and Cities (10 May, 10:00 CEST ) 

• Maarten Hajer, Director of the Urban Futures Studio, Utrecht University, Netherlands 

   

Eps 3: Agriculture and Food (18 May, 9:00 CEST)  

• Guido Schmidt-Traub, Partner at SYSTEMIQ LTD

Eps 4: Businesses and Investment (20 May, 14:00 CEST)

• Joanne Yawitch, Chief Executive National Business Initiative, Sandton, South Africa 

Eps 5: Economy (25 May, 14:00 CEST) 

• Jeffrey Sachs, Director of the Center for Sustainable Development, Columbia University, USA 

Eps 6: Transport and Mobility (25 May, 15:00 CEST)

• David Ward, President Towards Zero Foundation (TZF), United Kingdom

   

Eps 7: Energy and Climate Change  (27 May, 13:00 CEST)

• Ritu Mathur, Director of the Integrated Assessment & Modelling work at TERI, India

   

• Eps 8: Wealth and income inequality (June 10, 14:00 CEST)

• Facundo Alvaredo, Professor at the PSE and the EHESS, Argentina

• Register to EPS8

   

• Eps 9: Land Use and Biodiversity (TBC)

   

Following the webcast series, the International Resource Panel will carry out workshops to co-develop a desirable future and identify the policies which create conditions for this future to be achieved. We therefore hope this series of webcasts will inspire everyone to think about how the future could evolve and what might be necessary to steer the path towards the future we want. 

For any queries, please contact the IRP Secretariat at unep-irpsecretariat@un.org.

Watch the recording of episodes 1 & 2: