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GDP is not enough to measure a country’s development. What if we used the Sustainable Development Goals instead?
By Eric Champagne, Cristina D'Alessandro, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa
Gross domestic product (GDP) has long been the main indicator of economic growth used almost everywhere in the world.
However, the measurement does not take into account other factors essential to a country’s growth and development, such as social inequalities, the environment and the well-being of citizens.
In the last ten years, the climate deadlock and the limits of the current economic model based on the infinite growth of capitalism have prompted discussions of a “post-GDP” era.
We are two researchers affiliated with the Centre on Governance at the University of Ottawa. In recent years, we have become interested in the question of implementing the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals framework. In this article we explain why we believe it is now necessary to think about an alternative measure of economic activity and growth.
Sustainable development, much more than an environmental issue
The United Nations’ 2030 Agenda is a universal action plan to promote sustainable development by considering social, economic and environmental aspects. It is meant to apply to all countries, even the richest.
At the heart of the agenda are 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These cover a wide range of development challenges, encompassing aspects of human well-being, equity and social inclusion. The goals explicitly recognize that sustainable development cannot be achieved through isolated actions focused on a single dimension (the environment, for example), but require a co-ordinated effort across several domains.
https://youtu.be/0XTBYMfZyrM?si=Y4Yc9Qq3vaTWWCHb
Could SDGs be used to replace traditional growth measures such as GDP? This is one of the questions we raised at a conference organized by the University of Ottawa’s Centre on Governance. In this article, we provide the beginnings of an answer.
Read Full Story https://theconversation.com/gdp-is-not-enough-to-measure-a-countrys-development-what-if-we-used-the-sustainable-development-goals-instead-228465