Economic Growth

FROM -  A quantitative measure of economic wealth, growth and success.

TO - A qualitative measure of economic wellbeing, individual progress and happiness.

Description of tensions and questions to be explored

Stern reported in 2007 that if we spent 2% of global GDP on reducing carbon emissions, we will actually save 5% of global GDP due to the detrimental effects of climate change.   It is accepted now that saving the earth also amounts to saving money. To effectively change our individual and collective behaviours, requires a change in our fundamental attitudes and our very paradigm of economic growth.

The key to economic sustainability is a regulatory system that actively promotes social, ethical and environmental decision-making. How do we make this the status quo?

Society has morphed into consumeriety. Will people in the future look back and brand us as the terrible time when vanity overtook dignity? Adopting a new value system is not as great a challenge as it may seem. There is a steep rise in social enterprises and green businesses; in sustainability labelling such as Fair Trade and Rainforest Alliance. This shows we are already acting to mitigate our ghastly record in history.

Our current economic paradigm is hard won and very deeply embedded. How do we make social business the status quo? How do we convince resistant parties in business and government that we need this change and we need it soon? Can we usher in this new paradigm of qualitative growth and not impact unfairly on the world’s poor? Who are the communities that are driving this shift and what role can individuals play in addressing an issue of this stature?

Click on the icons to go to the next Paradigm.