Sustainability under Rapid Demographic Change

The demographic structure of most developed countries is changing dramatically as a result of people living longer but having fewer children. Many emerging economies, particularly China, are also rapidly ageing. These demographic changes pose huge challenges for sustainable development. It takes many years for countries and regions to change their infrastructure, housing, transport, energy and water systems. Current systems are shaped by society’s demands at the time when they were built. Today’s policy that guides the planning of new infrastructure needs to be aimed at the needs of the future society. Models for the sustainable development of energy, cities, water, and natural resources have not, as yet, explicitly accommodated changing demographics. Design and processes of products and services for seniors need to consider environmental sustainability. We propose a forward-thinking program of interdisciplinary research designed to help societies adapt to the new demographic realities whilst progressing towards sustainability.