Annual Report LRP 2007 - Rheinland Pfalz Bank
Annual Report LRP 2007 - Rheinland Pfalz Bank
Annual Report LRP 2007 - Rheinland Pfalz Bank
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FOUR QUESTIONS FOR:<br />
PROF. DR. KLAUS TÖPFER, former Federal<br />
Minister and retired Executive Director of the<br />
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)<br />
Professor Töpfer, what will the world look like 50 years<br />
from now? 50 years from now at least 9 billion people<br />
will be living on our planet, compared to 6.7 billion today.<br />
When I was born 70 years ago, the world’s population<br />
stood at 2.7 billion. If mankind is to live in peace 50 years<br />
from now, the dramatic wealth divide separating the affluent<br />
25 percent from the poor 75 percent will need to be<br />
appreciably alleviated. Apart from technological breakthroughs<br />
in energy and raw materials utilization, this will<br />
also require a change in our concepts of wealth and wellbeing.<br />
How will people be living in the future? A lot of the infrastructure<br />
and residential structures being built in our<br />
cities and regions today will still be in place 50 years down<br />
the road. This is why the implications of climate change<br />
need to be factored into the planning and building of these<br />
structures right away. Our homes will have to shift from<br />
being energy consumers to being energy producers. This<br />
goal will be achieved through smart solutions for innovative<br />
windows and facades. There will be a marked reduction<br />
in forced mobility and daily commuting as cross-func-
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