Are we on the cusp of a new era?

Abstract

Current turbulence is surely more than the progression of “just” another business cycle. To gauge what the current conjunction of events might mean and the possible path ahead, the McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) took a historical view on the structural tectonics that have reshaped today's world. Today’s disruptions are the fourth “earthquake” since the end of World War II, the other three being the immediate aftermath of the conflict, the 1970s oil crisis, and the reshaping of Europe as the Soviet Union broke up. With our panelists and participants, we’d like to explore a number of questions, including: What are the most critical disruptions changing the world today? Are there parallels from the past from which we can learn, helping us to write a new narrative of progress? How could the next wave of technologies impact work and society? How can we most effectively ensure we have the energy we need while forging along the path to net zero? The discussion will build on MGI’s recent paper, “On the cusp of a new era?”, a framework for thinking about the future through the lens of the past.