The business community and government will face major challenges over the next decade in the approach to sustainable development in the Netherlands.

Globalisation means that re-orientation is essential in order to carry on competing with countries with low production costs. Our competitiveness in the medium-long term is an important factor in this. How can the Netherlands maintain a healthy economy in the future, without losing the achievements made in society and the community? How can we remain mobile and keep our infrastructure in order, without further damaging the character of the Dutch landscape? Will it in fact be possible? Will the Netherlands be able to show leadership in the development of sustainable products and services? What modernising initiatives will be necessary to enable economic growth in the Netherlands to be sustainable in 2020?

Many people in the Netherlands are extremely concerned about the environment, and particularly climate change. World population growth and the associated levels of production and consumption are accelerating the rate of depletion of natural resources and increasing pollution levels. Stringent legislation and regulations, physical circumstances, reputation damage and liability mean that the risks and economic consequences of climate change are serious issues for the business community. Strategic re-orientation is required here too. How can production figures be kept at the right level without increasing pollution? What new technological innovations will be necessary over the next few years to enable an energy transition to take place in the Netherlands? How can the Dutch business community reduce the risks and realise the opportunities presented by sustainable development?

The Netherlands also faces special social challenges over the next few decades. The impact of the labour shortage is being felt but will increase even further in the coming years as a result of dejuvenation and aging. Social cohesion in deprived areas will be on trial, owing to the high number of educational drop-outs and the related mismatch with the labour market. The Netherlands has an urgent need for qualified workers to bring about constant economic growth. On the one hand, religious, ethnic and sociocultural differences in the Netherlands enrich the country but, on the other hand, they present challenges in terms of quality of life and integration. Moreover, increasingly more citizens of the Netherlands are feeling unsafe and threatened by religious and sociocultural changes. However, most Dutch people are satisfied with the quality of Dutch society. Choices will have to be made soon to ensure that the quality of life in the Netherlands is also maintained in 2020. How can we strengthen the quality of education and limit the number of students who drop out of school? What is needed to promote coherence between the different sections of the population? How can we stop a further increase in the rift between the rich and poor in the Netherlands? What will ongoing individualisation and aging mean in the Netherlands? And, how can we promote involved citizenship in neighbourhoods and districts?

Taking individual responsibility in matters like this is no longer an optional activity. The business community and government understand that responsibilities have to be included as a fundamental part of business processes to be able to continue operating successfully in the future. This will require special, groundbreaking leadership.

‘The Future Leaders Event’ invests in future leaders. It aims to inspire participants, get them thinking and provide some specific ideas for determining strategic directions so that the Dutch business community in 2020 will have anticipated the challenges facing us now in a sound and accountable manner.