Parag Khanna

Climate Adaptation: How to Become Future-Proof

The climate will not adapt to us – we have to adapt to it. Climate disasters are intensifying, with hurricanes, floods, droughts, wildfires, and other catastrophes are causing ever greater costs to societies everywhere. Climate refugees now outnumber political and economic migrants. The world will not only be hotter but also more violent, with conflicts over food and water and uncontrolled mass migrations across the continents. Net zero goals are clearly not enough. That is why climate adaptation must be every country and company’s foremost priority. This includes fortifying and redesigning our cities and buildings, accelerating renewable energy, boosting food production, and relocating our businesses, citizens, and workers to more resilient habitats. As Founder & CEO of AlphaGeo, the leading geospatial data science company using AI to translate climate models into financial impact, Dr. Khanna leverages his access to this proprietary software to provide detailed analysis of the locations across the globe best suited to your business requirements, helping you create a customized strategy to invest in resilient assets that will outperform in the volatile era ahead.

The Future is Asian: Billions of People, Trillions of Dollars

Asia is the world’s undisputed economic core and strategic cockpit. More than half the world’s population and GDP, as well as most of the world’s fast-growing economies and rapidly expanding middle class, are contained within this increasingly dense zone of trade and investment agreements. Asia used to produce for the world, now the world produces for Asia. After Japan and China, the next chapter of Asia’s economic story is being written by the “fourth wave” regions of South and Southeast Asia, with countries such as India and Vietnam becoming key destinations for high-tech manufacturing as they capture value chains and lead the world in minting unicorns. Yet navigating Asia’s dizzying diversity of cultures and range of regulations requires both a macro and micro view, as well as a keen understanding of current geopolitical tensions and conflict scenarios. As author of the landmark book The Future is Asian and strategic advisor to numerous Asian governments and corporations, there is no better guide than Dr. Khanna to the region that is defining the 21st century.

Citizen of Everywhere: A Conversation with Parag Khanna

What does it mean to be a worldly person? How should you raise kids with skills necessary for tomorrow’s world? What are the best places to live and retire? Born in India, raised in the UAE, New York and Germany, and having lived in Switzerland, London and Singapore, Dr. Khanna has cultivated a lifestyle as a “citizen of everywhere”: Someone who behaves like a local wherever he is, for however long. This approach has been instrumental in yielding the profound insights contained in his many books spanning geopolitics, technology, governance and identity – and elevated him to the status of a trusted advisor to many world leaders and corporate figures. Those in positions of responsibility and influence will savor this philosophical yet grounded conversation drawing on Parag’s uniquely insightful life experiences as an adventurous scholar who’s been to more than 150 countries, whose strategic insights have earned him comparisons to Henry Kissinger and Alvin Toffler, and whose worldview presents the essential middle ground between the forces of nationalism and globalism.

Global Scenarios for the Post-Pandemic World

The two words that best capture the post-pandemic world are “continental drift.” The global economy is rapidly becoming more regional. Globalization continues in many areas such as commodities, capital flows, and digital services, but from energy to electronics, North America, Europe, and Asia are becoming more self-sufficient through trade agreements and industrial policy aimed at controlling the supply chains. At the same time, a new era of competitive connectivity has begun as the tug-of-war heats up between China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the West’s “Build Back Better World” (B3W) agenda. Drawing on the copious research presented in his acclaimed book Connectography, Parag Khanna provides cutting-edge insights into the geopolitical, geoeconomic, and geotechnological shape of the future, with specific recommendations on how and where to invest in a volatile world.

The Global War for Young Talent

The lasting impact of the pandemic will be both demographic and geographic. We are reaching “peak humanity,” a global population not likely to cross nine billion people, but most of the world’s people are still young — and as they vote with their feet, they determine the winners and losers of the 21st century. Countries are now vigorously competing in a global war for youth to attract the taxpayers, workers, homeowners, and entrepreneurs of the future. Companies must do the same — but in a remote working world, millennials and Gen-Z are a moving target. How can corporations attract young employees to headquarters while also building a decentralized workplace culture? Drawing upon the insightful research from his latest book MOVE, Parag Khanna presents the world from the standpoint of the youth who will define it, guiding your talent acquisition and retention strategies for the years ahead.

Climate Adaptation: This Century’s Highest Priority

Deadly disasters are intensifying, with ever greater costs to societies everywhere. Rising sea levels and floods, droughts and heatwaves, cyclones and forest fires, cause upwards of $200 billion in damage annually. Climate refugees now outnumber political and economic migrants. The world will not only be hotter but also more violent, with conflicts over food and water, and uncontrolled mass migrations. That is why climate adaptation must be every nation and company’s foremost priority. This includes fortifying and redesigning our homes and buildings, investing in renewable energy and resilient food production, and relocating our businesses, citizens, and workers to more stable habitats. The climate will not adapt to us; we will have to adapt to it. Drawing up FutureMap’s proprietary Climate Alpha software, Parag Khanna provides tailored analysis of the locations across the globe best suited to your business requirements and guides you in creating a tailored strategy for climate resilience.

The Future is Asian: Billions of People, Trillions of Dollars

Asia remains the world’s growth engine, representing more than half the world’s population and fifty percent of global GDP. China is neck-and-neck with the US as the top destination for foreign investment, and has accelerated its quest for technological autonomy and expanded use of its currency. Meanwhile, the world’s largest trade agreement — Asia’s Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) — has come into effect. The next chapter of Asia’s economic story is also being written by the “fourth wave” regions of South and Southeast Asia, with countries such as India and Vietnam delivering the world’s fastest growth and taking the lead in new unicorn companies. As the author of the landmark book The Future is Asian, there is no better guide than Parag Khanna to the geography that drives the world economy.

Global Financial Services

Dr. Khanna has a long track record of advising the financial services industry across institutional investors, sovereign wealth funds, private equity and hedge funds, wealth management, (re-)insurance, and other verticals. His briefings to financial institutions often cover the shifting trajectories of the world’s three economic megaregions — North America, Europe, and Asia — based on the latest monetary, fiscal, trade, and other policy decisions. He also specializes in how demographics, technology, and climate change intersect to shape the global economy, which geographies and asset classes to combine for a high-yield portfolio, and how and where the next generation of investors and entrepreneurs should plan to allocate capital.

Transportation and Mobility: Automotive and Aviation

Dr. Khanna’s mapping of the future of demographics and infrastructure is highly sought after in the transportation sector. He brings to life the cities, nations, and regions that will drive demand for mobility services, and flows of goods and people between them. He also answers big questions such as how sustainable and multimodal transport can cater to the next generation of workers and travelers, and what transportation will look like in the cities and habitats of the future.

Government and Public Institutions

Dr. Khanna is a trusted advisor at the highest levels of many governments around the world. His firm FutureMap has conducted detailed research on economic strategy, investment promotion, and government reform for some of the forward-looking countries. His briefings to cabinet ministers and government agencies often cover how fiscal policy and technology platforms can prepare society for disruptions ranging from labor automation to climate change, how to structure public-private partnerships to finance new infrastructure, the strategic master-planning of cities and special economic zones, how to reform immigration policy to recruit top talent across sectors, and how to enhance sustainability in critical habitats while maintaining economic growth.

The Environment: Energy, Agriculture, Water, and Health

Dr. Khanna is a leading expert on the governance of our natural commons, and the new global division of labor emerging as we adapt to climate change. He dissects the geography and composition of energy, food, water, and other resources and the new technologies and trade patterns shaping these markets. He also covers how our social policies and safety nets should evolve to cope with accelerating climate disruptions while improving social safety nets. Drawing upon the innovative Climate Alpha toolkit, which analyzes hundreds of variables to make real estate price predictions, he also reveals the emerging “climate oasis” geographies best suited for large-scale population resettlement and how their resources can be sustainably cultivated.

Advertising and Marketing, Retail and Entertainment

Dr. Khanna is the leading next-gen global public intellectual with his finger on the pulse of consumer preferences around the world. His work on youth demographics reshapes our understanding of the mass market of young, single, urban professionals, capturing their needs and hopes. His presentations capture how the values of connectivity, mobility, and sustainability impact societal behavior and spending priorities. He explains how brands should position themselves to appeal to millennials, Gen-Z, and Gen-Alpha in major markets around the world. And he also reveals what you need to know about the countries and cities that are the most desirable locations for the next generation.

Management Consulting, Professional Services, and Human Resources

Dr. Khanna’s expert synthesis of megatrends has long made him a go-to resource for the world’s leading consulting and professional services firms. His presentation of inter-disciplinary scenarios broadens the knowledge and foresight capabilities of corporate leaders as they confront a complex future. Additionally, his specific strategic guidance is tailored to client’s needs and informs management as they navigate and respond to geopolitical tensions, economic fragmentation, and the competition over global rules and standards. And his insights into which countries are the most attractive to next-gen talent helps you better build global teams with remote workers.

Academia and Higher Education, Civil Society Social Organizations

Dr. Khanna is an acclaimed scholar who has lectured at dozens of major universities around the world and whose books are taught across numerous departments from colleges to high schools. His interdisciplinary blend of geography, politics, economics, demographics, environment, philosophy, and social analysis provides the holistic foundation students and youth at all levels need to prepare for a complex future. He is often consulted by academic institutions, foundations, and charities on how they can strengthen their impact in addressing key societal challenges, both domestically and internationally. Some of the major themes civic groups seek his insight on include the key areas to promote skill-building programs, how youth should navigate professional and geographic opportunities across the public and private sectors, and how they can use their skills to engage in constructive activism.

Travel, Tourism, and Hospitality

Dr. Khanna has traveled to more than 150 countries and is widely consulted by travel and tourism companies seeking to understand future demographic, migration, and cultural trends. He has also advised many governments seeking to promote their nations as tourist and remote work destinations. As cries of “toxic tourism” give way to a “war for tourists”, he explains what measures are most essential to ensuring safe and sustainable experiences. He also provides cutting-edge guidance on how the global travel sector can promote new modes of digital identification–from immunity certificates to blockchain passports–to make post-pandemic travel more seamless. And as digital nomads scatter in search of locations offering the best work-life balance, he advises on how cities and nations can brand themselves as destinations for long-term residency.

Real Estate, Construction, Infrastructure, and Logistics

Dr. Khanna has long been one of the most sought after experts for the residential and commercial real estate industries due to the forecasting of high-growth cities and emerging infrastructures contained in his visionary book Connectography. Today global real estate is being shaken up by demographic deflation, supply chain disruptions, climate change, corporate relocations, and remote work, all forces he details in his new geographic tour de force MOVE. As real estate firms grapple with these new realities, Dr. Khanna provides sharp analysis on the next thriving residential markets and business hubs. He also delivers guidance on how construction and logistics firms should incorporate the latest technologies to deploy energy self-sufficient and even “mobile real estate” and infrastructure. Importantly, drawing up his firm FutureMap’s proprietary Climate Alpha software, he helps clients seize first mover advantage in the most valuable geographies of the future.

Technology, Media, and Telecom

Dr. Khanna coined the term “geotechnology” to capture how the balance of innovation has superseded the traditional balance of power in global affairs. He has advised the world’s leading technology companies from Silicon Valley and Europe to India, China, and Japan on how the Internet of Things, AI, crypto-currencies and other frontier technologies will reshape societies, economies, and politics. His latest book MOVE captures how the “mobility of everything,” physical and digital, will result in a new hierarchy of countries, cities, and companies across the world.