Beyond GDP: Rethinking Progress for a Healthy Planet

The world is witnessing a dual record in 2024 with unprecedented global GDP per capita coinciding with the highest annual carbon emissions. This trend underscores the long-standing challenge of decoupling economic growth from environmental harm, a pattern observed since the 1990s. Developing nations have historically received looser emissions targets to foster economic development, creating an assumption that prosperity inevitably leads to ecological damage.

Growing concern over slipping climate targets and the potential crossing of irreversible tipping points is fueling a reevaluation of GDP as a sole measure of progress. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has urged a move beyond current accounting systems, which he argues are steering the planet toward disaster. This sentiment aligns with the "post-growth" economic school, which questions the necessity of constant expansion for societal well-being.

Post-growth proponents advocate for alternative frameworks such as "doughnut economics" and "wellbeing budgets," which incorporate environmental costs. While disagreements exist on specific de-growth strategies, there is a consensus that a radical rethink is vital. Experts like Professor Tim Jackson emphasize that "economic growth has a near mythical status," but wishful thinking will not resolve the climate crisis, suggesting post-growth offers more realistic possibilities for human prosperity.