Does wellbeing have to cost the Earth? In short, no.
Countries that rank highly on the Happy Planet Index show us that it is possible to live long, happy lives with a much smaller carbon footprint than found in the highest-consuming nations. And many nations achieve green lights in the individual components of the Happy Planet Index – meaning that these targets are genuinely attainable.
But, we are still far from achieving sustainable wellbeing.
Only a third of nations consume within environmental limits.
No country meets all three goals for life expectancy, wellbeing, and carbon footprint.
Still, some progress towards sustainable wellbeing has been made since 2008.
With the crises we collectively face, we now have to push further and faster towards creating shared wellbeing for people and the planet. To do that, we need to rethink how our global economic system is designed. The good news is that we designed the current economic system – so we can also redesign it.
Christiana Figueres
Imagine a 'Wellbeing' Economy
A ‘Wellbeing Economy’ is one that is designed solely to deliver shared wellbeing for people and the planet. We would only pursue “growth” in those areas of the economy that contribute to collective wellbeing – and shrink those areas of the economy that damage it
There's no one blueprint for how to build a 'Wellbeing' Economy.
But the Happy Planet Index offers clues of where countries can get started on this journey – addressing their own specific challenges and building on their existing successes.
John Scharr