2050: What future will we work towards?

When we think about the world in 2050, what do we see?

Is it a planet struggling under the weight of climate disasters and social inequalities?

Or is it a world where humanity has finally learned to live in harmony with nature—a post-Anthropocene era where both people and the planet thrive?

I know which future I want.

But I get it—it's tough to imagine a better future today. When we're still engaged in some of the most primitive conflicts worldwide, envisioning a harmonious 2050 feels like a stretch. How can we focus on healing the planet when we're still grappling with wars, inequality, and injustice?

We have to.

Because the alternative—the worst-case scenario—is unthinkable. If we don't act now, we risk heading straight toward extinction. And we know that if everyone wants to live the lives we currently live in Luxembourg, as we currently produce energy, we would need 8 planets.

So, what do we do?

We need to continue our massive investment in renewable energy and the ecological transition that preserves our Blue Planet's ecosystems —what I like to refer to as the "Blue Transition" (because I also want to prevent a so-called Greentocracy*).

It's about fundamentally rethinking how we live and work. And the private and public sectors will have to play their parts. (And it will be nearly impossible for the private sector, without support from the public sector).

We need to allocate resources swiftly to rebuild local economies where it makes sense, reducing dependencies on fragile global supply chains and focus on economies that are sustainable, resilient, and rooted in their regions.

The Post-Anthropocene Era

Imagine it's 2050, and we've made the hard choices.

We've shifted from being exploiters of the planet to stewards of it. Society consumes resources at the rate they can be replenished. We're not just minimizing harm; we're actively regenerating the Earth's systems.

Global ecosystems are valued and protected. Biodiversity loss has halted, and we're witnessing the recovery of forests, oceans, and wildlife. Circular economies are the norm, with waste becoming a thing of the past because everything is seen as a resource.

Education has become a lifelong pursuit, focusing on environmental stewardship and global citizenship. People are empowered with knowledge thanks to AI, fueling innovation and cooperation on an unprecedented scale.

So how do we get there? Because the alternative is dire.

If we continue on our current path—ignoring the signs and failing to act—we're not just risking a decline in quality of life; AGAIN, we're facing potential extinction.

We must prevent this worst-case scenario. We owe it to ourselves and future generations to act decisively.

1) Our oceans, forests, and atmosphere all must have a voice on the world stage, and within our economic systems.

2) Growth at the expense of the environment must no longer be acceptable, growth must be aligned with environmental protection.

That's how we get there.

Of course this future isn't going to build itself. It requires collective action. Politically and democratically, we need to choose leaders who are committed to this vision balancing our anthropocentric view and use of our world, with our need to sustain social cohesion and protect the environment.

What future will we work towards?

Christos Floros

These thoughts follow last week's United Nations General Assembly in New York. Much of the thinking and scenarios are based on 奥雅纳 's monumental work on 2050 scenarios published in 2019. A lot of this work and research heavily influenced me during my time at architecture school.