The Longevity Imperative: Building a Better Society for Healthier, Longer Lives

Overview

We live at a unique time in human history. For the first time ever the young and middle aged can expect to live long enough to become old. That requires all of us, regardless of age, to behave differently. Crucially, we need to ensure lives are not just lived longer but also lived healthier, more productively and more engaged for longer.

With global life expectancy now over 70, a first longevity revolution is coming to an end, as the majority can now expect to live a long life. A second longevity revolution now needs to emerge to ensure that we age well. Even at a time when in low-income countries the biggest lifetime health burden the young face are ageing-related diseases, it is certain that we are entering a new era.

And life will never be the same again. Past progress created longer lives. Future progress is about how we make the most of this additional time by changing the way we age. We need to shift away from an “ageing” society narrative towards a “longevity” society agenda, that aims to make the most of the extra years we have gained.

In this talk by Professor Andrew J Scott – co-author of the global bestseller ‘The 100-Year Life’ – we will look at the implications for every aspect of life for both individuals and society. We will consider how to achieve a longevity agenda which keeps us ‘evergreen’, including what is needed if we are to achieve a three-dimensional longevity dividend – longer, healthier, more productive lives.

Scott’s new book, The Longevity Imperative, outlines the fundamental changes needed in our health system, the economy and the financial sector in order to seize the advantages of longer lives. It also looks at the critical cultural and political shifts that need to happen as we adapt to a new longevity era. Given only a minority previously became the old we do not invest enough in our futures. Scott argues that if we continue along that path, the result will be an ageing society – which will undoubtedly bring new and unexpected challenges for us all. But if we invest in our new longer futures, we can achieve better outcomes and stimulate economic growth.

At this crucial point in the emerging second longevity revolution, can we seize new and exciting opportunities to improve our culture, institutions, and individual lives in preparation for longer futures and a new era for humanity? Can we move away from the negativity of an ageing society and elevate a longevity society, alongside climate change and AI, as a key factor that will determine our individual and collective future?