How can businesses prepare for a world of 9 billion?

The author asserts that the expected growth of the global population to 9.6 billion by 2050 and a doubling of the economy will necessitate a shift from incremental environmental improvements to a radical reinvention of business models. While noting declines in US energy use and improvements in air quality between 2000 and 2012, the text argues for the 'de-materialization' of heavy processes. The author highlights the role of the digital economy—specifically cloud services, mobile technology, machine-to-machine communication, and the internet of things—as the primary drivers for achieving simultaneous economic growth and environmental sustainability.

• The global population is projected to reach 9.6 billion people by 2050, with the economy likely doubling in size, creating significant pressure on the planet due to increased consumption.
• While the US has seen a steady decline in energy use over approximately 20 years and a reduction of over 50% in carbon monoxide, lead, and sulphur-dioxide levels between 2000 and 2012, the author argues these incremental changes are insufficient.
• Achieving sustainability for a larger population requires a fundamental reinvention of the global economy through the de-materialization of heavy processes and the adoption of digital business models. Key enabling technologies include cloud services, mobile technology, machine-to-machine communication, and the internet of things.

APA

Dell, M. (2015). How can businesses prepare for a world of 9 billion? World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/stories/circular-economy/how-can-businesses-prepare-for-a-world-of-9-billion/

Chicago

Dell, Michael. How can businesses prepare for a world of 9 billion? World Economic Forum, 2015. https://www.weforum.org/stories/circular-economy/how-can-businesses-prepare-for-a-world-of-9-billion/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Dell |first1=Michael |title=How can businesses prepare for a world of 9 billion? |publisher=World Economic Forum |date=20 February 2015 |url=https://www.weforum.org/stories/circular-economy/how-can-businesses-prepare-for-a-world-of-9-billion/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{dell2015how, author = {Dell, Michael}, title = {{How can businesses prepare for a world of 9 billion?}}, publisher = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2015}, month = feb, url = {https://www.weforum.org/stories/circular-economy/how-can-businesses-prepare-for-a-world-of-9-billion/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }