Can a Well-Being Economy Save Us?

Document Type : Editorial

Author

School of Epidemiology and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic led many countries to consider reforms to their economic policies, in part to better deal with global warming, mass population migration and displacements, and worsening global inequalities. Some health progressive changes have been made, but the world still confronts the contradiction between economic growth and the need to reduce aggregate global consumption. Well-being economies based on valuing human and planetary health have been proposed as a viable option, with more appeal than concepts such as degrowth or postgrowth economics. Some governments are moving in a “well-being economy” direction, but are they moving far and fast enough? What are the policy actions governments must take, and how will they overcome powerful interests opposed to any economic changes that might challenge their privileges? The idea of well-being economies resonates strongly with most cultures; and therein lies its civil society activist potential.

Keywords

References

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History

  • Receive Date: 24 March 2024
  • Revise Date: 09 May 2024
  • Accept Date: 15 May 2024
  • First Publish Date: 18 May 2024

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