What will the professional world look like in 2050? In January, students at NEOMA attended the “Future of Work” seminar. To help them expand their thinking on the subject, the school organised a series of conferences. Among them was the conference, “What working methods are aligned with a trajectory aimed at 1.5 degrees of global warming,” led by Isabelle Viennois.

The lecturer cofounded Zeus & Gaïa, a platform of experts dedicated to accelerating the environmental transition. We asked her to summarise her outlook for the future of work in three words.

In 2050, the working world will be …

• Committed

By 2050, our planetary challenges will such (climate disruptions, loss of biodiversity) that the economic world will have no other choice but to be committed to contributing to these challenges. It will be compelled to do so by regulations and by the people in the workforce.

• Greener

People will continue to leave large, concrete-filled urban centres to work in nature. The health crisis showed that this possible, and digital technology makes this exodus easier. This trend will continue even more as concrete urban centres become heat islands that will be unbearable for several weeks per year.

• Aware

Until now, few people were aware of the impact that their professional choices and working methods had on the planet and the climate. People are becoming more and more aware of this in schools, universities and companies. By 2030, everyone will measure the carbon footprint created by their lifestyle, and in 2050, everyone will choose their jobs based on this criterion.

Read more about the Future of work 

According to Gilbert Cette