The World in 2050

This global research initiative supports a successful implementation of the 2030 Agenda. The goal of The World in 2050 (TWI2050) is to provide fact-based knowledge to support the policy process and implementation of the SDGs. TWI2050 aims to address the full spectrum of transformational challenges related to achieving the 17 SDGs in an integrated manner, so as to minimize potential conflicts among them and reap the benefits of potential synergies of achieving them in unison.

TWI2050 differs from standard integrated assessment models by asking a goal-based question. Rather than examining various future scenarios, the project focuses on describing a potential sustainable development pathway, that is, one in which social and economic development proceed in all regions of the world (including achieving the SDGs), while respecting the planetary boundaries at local to global scales. This is a normative approach that is not present in much of the world’s analytical work on energy, macroeconomics, demography, and other issues of critical importance. The project's objective is to develop sustainable pathways (SDPs) that reach the two defined target spaces: all 17 SDGs and the transformation toward sustainability within planetary boundaries beyond 2050.