Geneva, 31 March 2021: This new report lays out a framework to guide business action in line with the urgency of the challenges that we face as a global society, and provides the business community with comprehensive guidance on how it can lead the transformations needed if we are to realize a shared vision of a world in which more than nine billion people can live well, within planetary boundaries, by 2050.
Vision 2050: Time to Transform maps how systems transform and lays out a new framework to guide business action in the decade ahead. At the heart of this framework are nine transformation pathways – actionable routes for companies to take – covering the areas of business activity that are essential to society: energy; transportation and mobility; living spaces; products and materials; financial products and services; connectivity; health and wellbeing; water and sanitation; and food.
The vision and transformation pathways are aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the targets of the Paris Agreement. Each of the nine transformation pathways contains ten action areas for the decade ahead, designed to help companies drive transformative change in their strategies, business operations and impact on society.
To move beyond business-as-usual into the accelerated transformations necessary, business leaders must adopt three mindset shifts: reinventing capitalism that rewards true value creation; focusing on building long-term resilience; and taking a regenerative approach beyond doing no harm.
While business can take a leading role, it must work on and design systems transformations, together with scientists, policy makers, financiers and investors, innovators and consumers. Only collaboration at unprecedented levels will create the impact and speed needed to achieve all people living well within planetary boundaries by 2050.
Following this launch, WBCSD is pleased to share links to a number of resources.
Recordings of the launch events
WBCSD organized two launch sessions that included an introduction to the key concepts and messaging sitting behind the Vision 2050: Time to Transform report, as well as animated discussions around the implications and applications of this new resource with distinguished WBCSD Council Members.
The first session featured the following speakers and can be viewed here:
- Peter Bakker, President & CEO, WBCSD
- Magdi Batato, Executive VP Operations, Nestlé SA
- Keryn James, Group CEO, ERM Ltd.
- Alan Jope, CEO, Unilever
- Ilham Kadri, CEO, Solvay
- Sunny Verghese, Co-Founder & Group CEO, Olam International Ltd., & Chair, WBCSD
The second session featured the following speakers and can be viewed here:
- Cláudia Azevedo, CEO, Sonae
- Peter Bakker, President & CEO, WBCSD
- Jean-Pierre Clamadieu, Chairman, ENGIE
- Nadir Godrej, Managing Director, Godrej Industries
- Colm Kelly, Global Leader, Purpose, Policy and Corporate Responsibility, PwC
- Gayle Schueller, Vice President of Global Sustainability, 3M
Speaker quotes and screenshots of both sessions can be also be accessed.
Vision 2050 assets now available
In addition to the recording of the aforementioned launch events, we are also pleased to share with you a suite of resources that WBCSD hopes will support the promotion and implementation of Vision 2050: Time to Transform across companies and organizations.
- News release of 25 March
- The full Vision 2050 Time to Transform report
- A dedicated website
- An infographic that summarizes the key elements of the report in an accessible and visually engaging way.
- A toolkit to support executives when it comes to talking about Vision 2050 and bringing it to life within their organizations.
- A short social media-friendly video which underlines the need and importance of this work
- A call to action video by over 20 WBCSD Council Members that took part in the development of Vision 2050: Time to Transform
- A range of assets for both Twitter and LinkedIn are available here
More information
If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to reach out to Vision2050@wbcsd.org
