Scholarly record
TRANSITION TO SUSTAINABLE ECONOMY - REVIEW OF POLICY CHOICES SUGGESTED BY INTERNATIONAL AGENCIES
Abstract
Globally, there have been significant efforts to develop new means of assessing progress beyond GDP in recent years. The recent publication by the UN Secretary-General of a policy brief (UN, 2023) is inviting member states to move beyond GDP by measuring what truly matters for sustainability and prosperity. The policy brief outlines the shortcomings of GDP as an indicator of summarizing everything too much and revealing too little to be able to adequately inform policy (UN, 2023; pp. 12). This paper will present a review of a number of recent documents (2019 - 2022) published by international agencies to explore their views on the role and types of growth to achieve their objectives such as reducing emission, improving resilience, protecting biodiversity and so on. The paper will discuss two approaches to growth and development. Most of the listed reviewed documents suggest approaches for governments to move towards sustainable, inclusive, and sustained economic growth. Second set of recommended approaches focuses on the importance of broadening the indicators used to describe economic growth, often referred to as -moving beyond GDP-. The paper will provide details on each of the suggested approaches and potential linkages and win-win solutions to improve pressing global challenges.
Publication Impact Profile
Publication details
References20
Convention on Biological Diversity. (2020). Global Biodiversity Outlook 5. Montreal. Retrieved from https://www.cbd.int/gbo/gbo5/publication/gbo-5-en.pdf
Dasgupta, P. (2021). The Economics of Biodiversity: The Dasgupta. London : London: HM Treasury. Retrieved from https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachme nt_data/file/962785/The_Economics_of_Biodiversity_The_Dasgupta_Review_Full_R eport.pdf
Group of Seven. (2021). Carbis Bay G7 Summit - Our Shared Agenda for Global Action to Build Back Better. Retrieved from https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachme nt_data/file/1001128/Carbis_Bay_G7_Summit_Communique__PDF__430KB__25_p ages_.pdf
Group of Seven. (2022). G7 Leaders’ Statement. Berlin. Retrieved from https://www.g7germany.de/resource/blob/997532/2024356/f5d27e428c7f4d0f4086bd 6bbafc6da0/2022-04-07-g7-leaders-eng-data.pdf?download=1
Group of Twenty . (2021). G20 Rome Leaders' Declaration. Retrieved from https://www.g20.org/content/dam/gtwenty/about_g20/pdf_leaders_declaration/2021_ G20%20Rome%20SummitDECLARATION.pdf
Group of Twenty. (2022). G20 Bali Leaders' Declaration. Retrieved from https://www.g20.org/content/dam/gtwenty/gtwenty_new/about_g20/previous-summit- documents/2022-bali/G20%20Bali%20Leaders%27%20Declaration,%2015- 16%20November%202022.pdf
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. (2022a). Sixth Assessment Report, Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability, the Working Group II contribution. Retrieved from https://www.ipcc.ch/report/sixth-assessment-reportworking-group-ii/
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. (2022b). Sixth Assessment Report, Climate Change 2022: Mitigation of Climate Change, the Working Group III contribution. Retrieved from https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg3/
International Labour Organization. (2022). World Employment and Social Outlook: Trends 2022. Geneva. Retrieved from https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/--- dgreports/---dcomm/---publ/documents/publication/wcms_834081.pdf
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (2020). How's Life? 2020 Measuring Well-being. Paris. Retrieved from https://www.oecd.org/wise/how-s-life- 23089679.htm
United Nations. (2021). Our Common Agenda – Report of the Secretary-General. Retrieved from https://www.un.org/en/content/common-agendareport/assets/pdf/Common_Agenda_Report_English.pdf
United Nations (2023) Our Common Agenda: Valuing What Counts: Framework to Progress Beyond Gross Domestic Product. Policy Brief 4. United Nations. Retrieved from: https://www.un.org/sites/un2.un.org/files/our-common-agenda-policy-briefbeyond-gross-domestic-product-en.pdf
United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. (2022). Global Land Outlook (GLO2), Land Restoration for Recovery and Resilience - Second Edition. Retrieved from https://www.unccd.int/sites/default/files/2022-04/UNCCD_GLO2_low-res_2.pdf 24
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. (2019). Global Sustainable Development Report. Retrieved from https://sdgs.un.org/sites/default/files/2020-07/24797GSDR_report_2019.pdf
United Nations Environment Programme. (2019). Sixth Global Environment Outlook. Retrieved from https://www.unep.org/resources/global-environment-outlook- 6?_ga=2.131346575.1679879826.1665402940-81201363.1652359177
United Nations Environment Programme. (2021). Making Peace with Nature. A scientific blueprint to tackle the climate, biodiversity and pollution emergencies. Nairobi. Retrieved from https://www.unep.org/resources/making-peace-nature
United Nations Environment Programme. (2022). Frontiers 2022: Noise, Blazes and Mismatches – Emerging Issues of Environmental Concern. Nairobi. Retrieved from https://www.unep.org/resources/frontiers-2022-noise-blazes-and-mismatches
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. (2022a). Report of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement on its third session, held in Glasgow from 31 October to 13 November 2021. Retrieved from https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/resource/cma2021_10a01E.pdf
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. (2022b). Sharm el-Sheikh Implementation Plan. Retrieved from https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/resource/cop27_auv_2_cover%20decision.pdf
World Bank. (2021). The Changing Wealth of Nations 2021 : Managing Assets for the Future. Washington, DC. doi:CC BY 3.0 IGO
View or Download full articleAccess options
SWS access login
Login as SWS Scientific CommitteeLogin as SWS Scientific PartnerLogin as SWS AuthorAuthors and approved SWS contributors will read and export their own linked papers after identity matching by SWS profile, email and SGEM GlobalID.
For librarian assistance: [email protected]
Purchase Instant Access
- Article can be downloaded after successful payment.
- Article may be used according to SWS library access terms.
- Article cannot be redistributed.