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Let’s talk: How your lifestyle is set to change in future years

Aug 16, 2017

How will the world look in another 50 years?

Who knew how the world would be today, 50 years ago? Mobile phones that do so much more than allow you to call someone, internet, driverless cars, wifi, GPS; things sure have changed.

What do you think the world would look like in another 50 years? Or even 30?

A sustainability report titled People and Planet Positive 2017 has taken a look at what life will be like by the year 2050, and it has some surprising results.

For starters, there will be more people than ever, with the global population expected to increase by 24 per cent.

The report predicts it will be the first time in history that the older population will outnumber youth. The numbers of over 60s is expected to double, from 11 per cent in 2012 to 22 per cent. With these increases in mind, there will be changes to the way we live. More people will leave rural regions and head to the cities. There’ll be more co-living, and not just with family. The predictions are that due to less space people will re-adjust their living experience with more share homes, or unit complexes that have shared facilities.

In many ways the future could in fact be taking a step back into the past as well. With more people there will be a bigger need for services like power, water and food. It’s fair to expect an increase in people growing their own food, making use of what spaces they have at home as well as community gardens. All things our parents used to do. Energy saving, such as using blankets in winter rather than turning on the heaters, are just some of the ideas today’s society is being reminded about that was standard for many of us growing up.

The report, produced by IKEA, is being used to help the company promote sustainability. They are already replacing lighting options with LED only, adding ranges of bins with recycling, and even offering mini-greenhouses as a big step towards eco living.