Watch the replay: Book authors discuss how to achieve the next century of plenty

After an unprecedented—but bumpy—century of progress, the project of economic empowerment is about half done. The book explores what it would take to finish the job and what a future of shared prosperity could look like by 2100. Achieving this would require global GDP to be about 8.5 times higher than it is today. Will we have enough energy, materials, food, and innovation?

Drawing on decades of MGI research, the authors show that there is enough energy and sufficient minerals and metals to power growth and prosperity while protecting the planet; that we can comfortably grow food even for a population of 12 billion without using more land, and that there is plenty of juice left in the innovation machine. We do not see physical limits on growth, only limits in hearts and minds.

The session began with an overview of the report findings with authors Chris Bradley, Marc Canal, Nick Leung, and Sven Smit, followed by a panel moderated by Janet Bush.

The discussion explored:

• What is the machine of progress and how was progress achieved over the last century?
• How can energy systems deliver reliability, affordability, and sustainability at scale?
• How can we ensure we have enough resources and materials to build the future?
• How will demographic shifts affect labor supply and growth potential?
• What impact could AI and frontier technologies have on the trajectory of progress?
• What is the role of companies in driving progress?
• And what choices will matter most in determining whether progress remains broad-based in the years to come?

For more on this topic and information on how to order the book, please visit, A Century of Plenty: A story of progress for generations to come.