The future does not have to be climate chaos and social breakdown.

The Global Justice Report, co-authored by Thomas Piketty, offers a concrete alternative – but one that goes frontally against the power of billionaires.

The Global Justice Report sketches a hopeful and concrete transition path for humanity from 2026 to the year 2100. The main conclusion is simple: it is possible to unite well-being for everyone with a habitable Earth. However, that transformation rests on three equally important pillars.

First, a rapid decarbonization of our energy systems is necessary. Second, we must drastically switch to the principle of sufficiency: enough to live well without burdening the planet. That means fewer working hours, a smaller material footprint, and alternative consumption patterns. Third, global inequality must be tackled drastically and structurally, both between and within countries.

That reduction of inequality is not just a socially desirable idea. It is a prerequisite for being able to finance the necessary climate investments and to maintain social support for such a transformation. Without equality, there is no habitable future.

The report was published in June 2026 and was written by a core team of seven researchers, including the well-known economists Thomas Piketty and Lucas Chancel. It is a collective initiative of the World Inequality Lab and is based on data collected by more than 200 scientists worldwide.

Five Thousand Euros Per Month

What does the report concretely propose? The plan provides for the average monthly income per person in each country to reach 5,000 euros by 2100. Today, a massive gap still exists, ranging from 290 euros in Sub-Saharan Africa to 4,590 euros in North America. A global income of 60,000 euros per year will become the new normal.

That income convergence goes hand in hand with a true revolution in wealth distribution. The share of the richest 50 percent of the world population in total wealth falls from 6 percent to just 0.05 percent. At the same time, the share of the bottom half rises from 2 percent to no less than 30 percent. Almost 90 percent of the world population will see their income double.

Working Less, Living More

One of the most striking proposals is the drastic reduction of working hours. While we currently work an average of 2,100 hours per year worldwide, that figure should fall to 1,000 hours by 2100. This is a historical trend that we can choose to continue, although it requires strong collective mobilization.

The time gained is not simply filled with doing nothing. The plan provides for a shift away from material sectors toward more immaterial ones, such as education and healthcare. The share of global working hours dedicated to these sectors rises from 11 percent to 43 percent. Countries like Norway and Sweden already demonstrate that this is feasible.

Added to this is the pursuit of full gender equality: equal labor participation, equal hours of paid and unpaid work, and equal pay. That implies a fundamental redistribution of power and time, linked to narrower income gaps.

Read More – A Habitable Planet is Possible, but We Must Tackle the Richest