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Quick Summary

The summary visuals below are completely machine produced, showing our robot's global analysis of:

• top driving forces
• causes
• potential solutions
• radars of the key topics underlying these forces
• cloud representations of the organizations and sectors driving or influencing change.

Driving Forces

What is changing?

Causes

Who and what are causing these changes?

Potential solutions

What are others doing to seize opportunities and minimize risks?

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More analysis

The analysis below draws from our robot's below visualizations of on sustainable futures and draws from different vantage points to tell the story of what's emerging, just like a GPS system.

Cloud: The key debates on how to reach global sustainability revolve primarily around the future of energy, food, water, infrastructure, transport, cities and population growth while maintain economies. But the Cloud also shows the myriad of other topics that need addressing to optimize Sustainability both by reducing resource use and increasing new technological and policy opportunities.

Systems map: The systems map shows that it is the United Nations leading the charge through its Sustainable Development Goals with future energy needs being the foremost topic to solve.
Radar chart: On a topic basis, achieving a sustainable world will only be achieved with focused, determined and constant investment around the world particularly in the construction of smart cities, increasing use of robots and the Internet and consumer re-education about resource use and the consequences of current demand behavior.

Graph-It: By 2025, we can expect to see pressures building on the supply of food and drink to an ever-increasing world population that is increasingly moving to cities. Technological advancement and huge increases in investment will be required to satisfy everyone's needs.

Spline chart: In the past three years the two presented Trend Wave charts shows rising debate about the sustainability of the planet with the peak of current conversation and action likely to be around 2029 in the medium term.
The debate is rising rapidly with the various protest efforts led by youth. Global school strikes led by Swedish 16-year-old Greta Thunberg to the Green New Deal, led by the youth-based Sunrise Movement and 29-year-old Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, young people across the globe are making it clear they will not accept inaction.

Sentiment: Sentiment towards achieving a sustainable world is extraordinarily positive compared to other topics we have analysed over the years.
The few negative sentiments reflect fears about Donald Trump's approach to sustainability and the slow speed at which change is happening globally. The most positive comments are reserved for the change to renewable energy, emissions reductions and moves towards circular economies.

Pie Charts: Achieving sustainability is likely to take the rest of this century but it's a prize worth having in terms of the billions and trillions of dollars that experts attach to delivering a sustainable, future world.
However, most initiatives are still at early stage (61%) with almost all the remainder still evolving or gaining traction. Much more needs to be done for the world to live sustainably by the estimated tipping point of 2036.
Heat map: The Heat Map shows the current weak efforts of sectors to drive positive social responsibility in their countries and regions. Businesses the world over could be doing a lot more to create positive change and in so doing retain their influence and power for the common good. This report gives clues as to where sectors have started their journey.

Emergent Drivers: The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals have provided seventeen beacons on where the future focus of sustainability should be by 2030.

Some like Good Health and Well-Being, Industry Innovation and Infrastructure Decent Work and Growth and Clean Energy will likely be achieved in the set timescale. But others such as Reduced Inequalities will take a lot longer.

Cities: As cities become the magnet for most people to move to so they will need to take responsibility for achieving maximum sustainability.

Right now, most efforts to improve are in the Northern Hemisphere with Australia being the standout example in the South.

Leader board: The Leader board also shows the paucity of global leaders pushing for global sustainability and perhaps surprisingly little mention of the EU Commission which usually tops these lists.

The days when Paul Hawken wrote The Ecology of Commerce and Natural Capitalism, Amory and Hunter Lovins who created the framework for thinking about corporate sustainability and John Elkington of People, Profit and Planet fame seem passed. Others are taking up the cudgels within business but again it's the youth who seem to be creating mass movements to force change than individual pioneers.

SWOT: As with the sentiment analysis above, the SWOT chart shows tremendous opportunities and few risks of adopting a sustainable strategy. Time to jump in if you haven't already done so or risk being left behind!

Visuals
For more detailed explanation of the graphics below please click here. All outlooks based on 2025 unless otherwise stated.

Cloud
The key debates on how to reach global sustainability revolve primarily around the future of energy, food, water, infrastructure, transport, cities and population growth while maintain economies. But the Cloud also shows the myriad of other topics that need addressing to optimize Sustainability both by reducing resource use and increasing new technological and policy opportunities.

System map
The systems map shows that it is the United Nations leading the charge through its Sustainable Development Goals with future energy needs being the foremost topic to solve.

Radar chart
On a topic basis, achieving a sustainable world will only be achieved with focused, determined and constant investment around the world particularly in the construction of smart cities, increasing use of robots and the Internet and consumer re-education about resource use and the consequences of current demand behavior.

Graph-It
By 2025, we can expect to see pressures building on the supply of food and drink to an ever-increasing world population that is increasingly moving to cities. Technological advancement and huge increases in investment will be required to satisfy everyone's needs.

Spline
In the past three years the two presented Trend Wave charts shows rising debate about the sustainability of the planet with the peak of current conversation and action likely to be around 2029 in the medium term.

The debate is rising rapidly with the various protest efforts led by youth. Global school strikes led by Swedish 16-year-old Greta Thunberg to the Green New Deal, led by the youth-based Sunrise Movement and 29-year-old Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, young people across the globe are making it clear they will not accept inaction.

Trend Wave - Today

Trend Wave – 3 years ago

Sentiment

Sentiment towards achieving a sustainable world is extraordinarily positive compared to other topics we have analysed over the years.

The few negative sentiments reflect fears about Donald Trump's approach to sustainability and the slow speed at which change is happening globally. The most positive comments are reserved for the change to renewable energy, emissions reductions and moves towards circular economies.

Pie Charts

Achieving sustainability is likely to take the rest of this century but it's a prize worth having in terms of the billions and trillions of dollars that experts attach to delivering a sustainable, future world.

However, most initiatives are still at early stage (61%) with almost all the remainder still evolving or gaining traction. Much more needs to be done for the world to live sustainably by the estimated tipping point of 2036.

Heat map

The Heat Map shows the current weak efforts of sectors to drive positive social responsibility in their countries and regions. Businesses the world over could be doing a lot more to create positive change and in so doing retain their influence and power for the common good. This report gives clues as to where sectors have started their journey.

Emergent drivers

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals have provided seventeen beacons on where the future focus of sustainability should be by 2030.

Some like Good Health and Well-Being, Industry Innovation and Infrastructure Decent Work and Growth and Clean Energy will likely be achieved in the set timescale. But others such as Reduced Inequalities will take a lot longer.

Cities

As cities become the magnet for most people to move to so they will need to take responsibility for achieving maximum sustainability.

Right now, most efforts to improve are in the Northern Hemisphere with Australia being the standout example in the South.

Leader board

The Leader board also shows the paucity of global leaders pushing for global sustainability and perhaps surprisingly little mention of the EU Commission which usually tops these lists.

The days when Paul Hawken wrote The Ecology of Commerce and Natural Capitalism, Amory and Hunter Lovins who created the framework for thinking about corporate sustainability and John Elkington of People, Profit and Planet fame seem passed. Others are taking up the cudgels within business but again it's the youth who seem to be creating mass movements to force change than individual pioneers.

SWOT

As with the sentiment analysis above, the SWOT chart shows tremendous opportunities and few risks of adopting a sustainable strategy. Time to jump in if you haven't already done so or risk being left behind

Questions

• Is Space Mining a Viable Future?
• How can agriculture meet these challenges, i.e. become more efficient, more sustainable and more adaptable to climate change all at the same time?
• Will ridesharing company's business model be sustainable long term??

Evidence

Search term: 'unsustain* OR unsuit* OR untenable OR unendurable OR unfeasible OR fleeting OR implausible OR upset* OR deplet* OR unworkable” Use this search term to explore our database for more knowledge and wisdom and latest data and information on the topic.

goal

• In the International Energy Agency's (IEA) Sustainable Development scenario - an accelerated clean energy transition plan which will put the world on track to meet goals related to climate change - universal access and clean air - global demand for coal needs to fall by more than 50% by 2040.
• Walmart will increase the use of recycled polyester fiber, setting a goal of using 50% recycled content by 2025 and to source 100% more sustainable cotton.
• Although fossil fuels will need to be completely phased out to fully decarbonise and deliver sustainable road transport services in the long term, a series of transitional options must be deployed in the short to medium term to deliver the EU's interim goals in 2030 and 2040.
• Thousands of early deaths from cancer, heart disease, lung disease and diabetes could be avoided if obesity was stabilised or ended by 2030, helping to attain the global sustainable development goals, research shows.
• IEEP identifies concrete opportunities how improving the integration of protected areas into EU trade agreements will help to support global biodiversity conservation as well as multiple sustainable development goals.
• Without much greater ambition and more intensified efforts, the Sustainable Development Goal 7 that has an objective of ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all will be impossible to attain by 2030.

scenario

• The effectiveness of the IEA Sustainable Development Scenario in limiting global temperature change to 2 degrees Celsius is dependent on global emissions trends through 2100, while IEA's current scenario only projects through 2040.
• In 2025, IEA forecasted an 8% reduction in demand and a 13% reduction in price for the IEA Sustainable Development Scenario compared to the IEA New Policies Scenario.
• In our outlook to 2040, the production of desalinated seawater in the Middle East is projected to increase almost fourteen-fold to 2040, and there is a concerted shift towards membrane-based desalination in both our New Policies Scenario and Sustainable Development scenarios.
• In the International Energy Agency's (IEA) Sustainable Development scenario - an accelerated clean energy transition plan which will put the world on track to meet goals related to climate change - universal access and clean air - global demand for coal needs to fall by more than 50% by 2040.
• Agency (IEA) projects 210 GW of coal capacity fitted with CSS in 2040 in its Sustainable Development Scenario, which can be considered as optimistic though.
• Adding to the degree of uncertainty, the Sustainable Development Scenario holds a presumption that coal carbon capture and storage (CCS) will be commercialised at scale by 2030.
• The Sustainable Development Scenario projects a significant decline in thermal coal demand, with global trade plummeting 59% by 2040.

development

• The emerging bio economy will play a valuable role - albeit quite differentiated and contextualised - across countries and regions at quite different levels of development, just as the Sustainable Development Goals were envisioned to be universal in nature.
• Advanced nuclear reactors are under development for deployment beginning in the mid 2020's from a variety of vendors 13, and much of their success will depend on maintaining a viable nuclear industry.
• If current trends continue, it is projected that $8.5 trillion will be transferred to families in developing countries over the 15-year life of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
• Power and Energy Systems will play a crucial role in the 21st century as major drivers of economic growth and sustainable development.
• Supporting sustainable development is key particularly in Asia that is forecast to remain the world's fastest growing region through 2030 with major infrastructure projects planned for the coming decade.

growth

• Growth in chemical-intensive industry sectors such as construction, agriculture and electronics creates opportunities to foster sustainable consumption, production and product innovation.
• Based on ridership forecasts, all technology options will support growth in transit ridership RRT is the only alternative that supports UBC's 2040 sustainable mode share target.
• Chongqing's ability to become a sustainable, high - performing global city will depend on its success at proactively planning for growth.
• Aggregate CIS growth may decelerate modestly in 2019, as the strong expansion recorded by some of the smaller economies in 2018 may not be sustainable, fiscal policies are growth-neutral at best and monetary tightening is expected in several countries.
• China's growth is expected to gradually slow to 5.5 percent by 2024 as the economy moves towards a more sustainable growth path.
• Power and Energy Systems will play a crucial role in the 21st century as major drivers of economic growth and sustainable development.

target

• Without enough supplies of water, it will be impossible to meet the Sustainable Development Goals, including SDG 6, which includes a target to ensure availability and sustainable management of water for all by 2030.
• In 2019, there will be increased transparency around social impact metrics and targets both within organizations and outside of them, and sustainable development goals will be utilized much more consistently as a framework for developing and measuring social impact initiatives.
• Current negative trends in biodiversity and ecosystems will undermine progress towards 80% of the assessed targets of the Sustainable Development Goals, related to poverty, hunger, health, water, cities, climate, oceans and land.
• The world's 47 least developed countries will fail to achieve global sustainable energy targets by 2030 unless urgent and enhanced action is undertaken.
• Businesses are expected to set their own targets to help contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goal of halving per capita global food waste by 2030.
• With over 90% of malaria cases and deaths occurring in one region, addressing the challenges of the malaria response in Africa will be critical to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals target of ending the malaria epidemic by 2030.
• In 2019 science-based targets are expected to be the next sustainability game-changer, with businesses engaging with the UN's sustainability goals to protect their brand reputation and achieve long-term sustainable growth.

fuel

• New market opportunities are coming, like sustainable aviation fuel for Decarbonisation of aviation fuel.
• Although fossil fuels will need to be completely phased out to fully decarbonise and deliver sustainable road transport services in the long term, a series of transitional options must be deployed in the short to medium term to deliver the EU's interim goals in 2030 and 2040.
• The UK's decision to include sustainable jet fuels under its Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation has been instrumental in getting the £4.9m investment needed to go ahead with detailed engineering planning on a plant that will convert solid waste, otherwise destined for landfill, into jet fuel.

product

• Driven by younger drinkers' desire for healthier and more sustainable product, the natural wine and spirits segment will continue to grow strongly in 2019.
• With the increased chatter and focus surrounding sustainability, brands have an opportunity to develop innovative sustainable products.
• As of 2021, single-use plastic products that have sustainable alternatives will be banned from the EU market, such as plastic cutlery, plates, expanded polystyrene food containers and cotton buds.
• For dairy milk, it might mean more steady declines as customers seek plant-based alternatives, and within that market, more sustainable products.

material

• A decade of positive habits could lead to a future where plastic is no longer waste but valued as a material that can be reused and recycled - shifting our current paradigm to a more sustainable one that lasts far beyond 2030.
• Samsung will only use fibre materials certified by global environmental organisations like the Forest Stewardship Council, Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Scheme and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative for packaging and manuals by 2020.
• If no action is taken to support the creation of a viable battery manufacturing sector, there is a risk that Europe falls irreversibly behind its competitors in the global batteries market and becomes dependent on imports of battery cells and raw materials used in the supply chain.
• To create an industry that will be sustainable for the future, extraction of metals needs to be lean in energy, low in C footprint and flexible with regards to raw material / energy sources.
• The global market for sustainable construction materials is expected to grow by 11.6% through 2026, making it a $523.72 billion industry.
• With the availability of sustainable raw materials at low prices, it is expected that the supply of aviation biofuel will be accessible across the Europe and on an international platform by 2030.

policy

• Aligning sustainable development policies to the implementation of advanced emission control technologies could provide NAAQS-compliant air quality to about 85% of the Indian population.
• Aggregate CIS growth may decelerate modestly in 2019, as the strong expansion recorded by some of the smaller economies in 2018 may not be sustainable, fiscal policies are growth-neutral at best and monetary tightening is expected in several countries.

solution

• RUC systems could be used as a potential sustainable funding solution for America's transportation infrastructure deficit and an answer to the financial challenges of the Highway Trust Fund, which is set to run dry by 2021.
• Now a team at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, has demonstrated that fired-clay bricks incorporating biosolids could be a sustainable solution for both the wastewater treatment and brickmaking industries.
• Mm Wave smartphones are coming to the market, but commercially viable solutions are on a longer development cycle than the sub-6 - GHz smartphones that will ramp in 2019.
• Following the completion of its Temporal Blockchain and mainnet solution, temtum will see the next generation cryptocurrency deliver feeless, instant transactions, backed by a highly scalable, sustainable and quantum secure network.

system

• Power and Energy Systems will play a crucial role in the 21st century as major drivers of economic growth and sustainable development.
• To ensure a sustainable future for Japan's health care and financial systems requires a paradigm shift and policy support that leverages aging as an opportunity rather than a crisis.
• RUC systems could be used as a potential sustainable funding solution for America's transportation infrastructure deficit and an answer to the financial challenges of the Highway Trust Fund, which is set to run dry by 2021.
• For years, fishermen in Sweden have collaborated with government officials and EDF to design a sustainable fishing system for the country that could be replicated across Europe.
• A more sustainable food system is urgently needed - and could generate 80 million jobs and create an extra $2.3 trillion in productive growth worldwide by 2030.
• Providing healthy diets from sustainable food systems is an immediate challenge as the population continues to grow -- projected to reach 10 billion people by 2050 -- and get wealthier.

market

• In the U.S. alone, the market for sustainable products will reach $150 billion by 2021.
• By 2021, the market for sustainable products in the U.S. will reach $150 billion.
• For dairy milk, it might mean more steady declines as customers seek plant-based alternatives, and within that market, more sustainable products.
• European Battery Alliance, launched in 2017, will create a sustainable battery value chain in Europe and brings together more than 200 stakeholders to develop a market that could be worth €250 billion a year by 2025.
• Mm Wave smartphones are coming to the market, but commercially viable solutions are on a longer development cycle than the sub-6 - GHz smartphones that will ramp in 2019.
• The rapid growth and increasing investments in the transmission and distribution sector and for the upgradation of aging grid infrastructure, to establish a sustainable electricity network, is expected to boost the electric insulator market.

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Sources
Athena used the sources as the top ones to create this report and determined which embedded forecasts are included in this Trend Alert. She found 956 forecasts in seconds on 20th June 2019 to allow us to publish this report in less than two hours. She can turn these into PowerPoint slides and Audio files in thirty minutes too as you wish, or we can prepare a full customized and professionally written brief for you to order covering all these forecasts.

Athena
Athena does show duplicates to aid your understanding of themes as well as contradictory forecasts. She may also show near-duplicates. You can speed read past the duplicates and near-duplicates if you wish, though the latter may show additional information. You can use the contradictory, and likely uncertain forecasts she finds to imagine different scenarios. The future is unpredictable, but we can examine the possibilities and choose our preferable future from the choices she presents. 
Athena is apolitical. She will report forecasts from different viewpoints however distasteful that might be to our own values. Wearing rose-colored glasses is not her purpose; reporting potential futures is. So, we recommend you check her veracity before responding to her extracted forecasts.

Just like humans, Athena can be fallible. Do recognize that you and your associates are biased too. But whereas you tire, make mistakes and only recognize what interests you, she does not. She might miss or misinterpret as you do, but with far less frequency and she'll take uncomfortable truths and alternative ideas in her stride. But, please let us know if you feel her bias can be reduced. We want to do our best for you. And, as with any research, you should check and triangulate her findings for yourself.

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