Century of Plenty

McKinsey Global Institute
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From the McKinsey Global Institute, the Century of Plenty podcast explores a defining question of our time: what will it take to create universal prosperity for generations to come? Inspired by the book A Century of Plenty, authors and co-hosts Sven Smit, Chris Bradley, Nick Leung, and Marc Canal bring together pioneering thinkers, world-class experts, innovators, and business leaders for bold conversations about the forces shaping humanity’s future. Unapologetically optimistic, the podcast looks to the breakthroughs, choices, and ideas that could unlock a new era of global progress across innovation, technology, demographics, energy, investment, and financial markets. For leaders, builders, and the intellectually curious.

Episodes

  1. Aug 19

    Is it radical to believe in growth?

    Plenty may be possible—but what would it take to make it probable? In this episode of the Century of Plenty podcast, Sven Smit, Chris Bradley, Nick Leung, and Marc Canal share reactions to their book from around the world and take on the hardest objections regarding demographics, climate change, energy, and AI. They discuss: ◼ How audiences from China to Africa to Europe accept that a world of plenty is possible, but there are real debates about execution. ◼ How collapsing fertility, rather than resource limits, may be the century’s defining challenge, and why growth and adaptation can address climate change even in an economy eight times larger than today’s. ◼ Why AI is better understood as a curve than as a fixed point, and how a shift from zero-sum to non-zero-sum thinking could turn plenty from possible to probable.   Chapters: (00:00:00) Intro(00:00:37) Is optimism different around the world?(00:04:36) What stands in the way of plenty?(00:09:29) The toughest questions: population, energy, nature & AI(00:15:22) The demographic cliff: are we running out of people?(00:25:50) Taking on runaway climate change(00:32:36) The race for abundant energy(00:35:39) Does prosperity destroy—or protect—nature?(00:48:39) Is AI different from every technology before it?(00:56:18) AI bubble or the beginning of an 8.5x economy? (00:59:39) A question of framing   Explore the book and research: https://acenturyofplenty.com/ Get your copy of  'A Century of Plenty' on Amazon: https://a.co/d/09oVyVx2  See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

    Is it radical to believe in growth?

  2. Aug 3

    Can every person live a plentiful life by 2100?

    What would it take for everyone in the world to enjoy the living standards of Switzerland today by 2100? In this episode of the Century of Plenty podcast, Sven Smit, Chris Bradley, Nick Leung, and Marc Canal discuss the ideas behind their new book, A Century of Plenty: A story of progress for generations to come. They discuss: ◼ Why the past century’s sixfold increase in global prosperity provides reason for optimism about the future, and why today’s pessimism may overlook the lessons of history. ◼ How AI, energy, productivity, and innovation could enable billions more people to reach an “empowerment” standard of living while addressing climate change and resource constraints. ◼ Why growth and inclusion should go hand in hand, and how affordability, inequality, and a renewed willingness to build will shape the next century of progress.   Chapters: (00:00:00) Intro (00:01:36) Imagining a world of plenty (00:03:54) Beliefs about growth: is it good, possible, and for me? (00:07:55) Measures of progress (00:16:20) How was progress achieved? (00:24:38) Was it worth it? (00:30:12) Inequality, affordability & the empowerment Line (00:40:09) The demographic drag and the multipolar world (00:43:52) An 8.5x economy: energy, materials & AI (01:01:03) Five shifts to get to plenty   Explore the book and research: https://acenturyofplenty.com  Get your copy of  'A Century of Plenty' on Amazon: https://a.co/d/09oVyVx2 See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

    Can every person live a plentiful life by 2100?
  • 2 Episodes

About

From the McKinsey Global Institute, the Century of Plenty podcast explores a defining question of our time: what will it take to create universal prosperity for generations to come? Inspired by the book A Century of Plenty, authors and co-hosts Sven Smit, Chris Bradley, Nick Leung, and Marc Canal bring together pioneering thinkers, world-class experts, innovators, and business leaders for bold conversations about the forces shaping humanity’s future. Unapologetically optimistic, the podcast looks to the breakthroughs, choices, and ideas that could unlock a new era of global progress across innovation, technology, demographics, energy, investment, and financial markets. For leaders, builders, and the intellectually curious.

Information

  • Creator
    McKinsey Global Institute
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    2
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Show Website
    Century of Plenty