Transformational Eco Economies

In his climate change talk, Lord Nicholas Stern explains how two fundamental transformations will determine whether the next 100 years will be the best century or the worst.

The first transformation is a structural one of economies and societies. It's expected that we'll go from 50% of the population residing in urban areas to 70% by 2050. This growth in economy and population will put an enormous strain on resources. The speaker notes three key areas of cities, energy and land that if managed poorly, will damage not only livelihoods but will also result in immense risks to our climate. Consequently, this second transformation of climate is intimately connected to the first. When it comes to cities, it is imperative to think ahead and invest wisely. With an increased demand in energy, we must use energy efficiently and make it clean. To address issues of land, deforestation and degradation, Brazil's example shows we must involve local communities and invest in their agriculture.

The climate change talk demonstrates we understand how to manage the two transformations well, especially when considering advancing technology. The speaker insists the world as a whole is moving too slowly, isn't cutting emissions the way we should or managing structural changes as well as it can. What the world needs is political pressure to build and leaders to step up.