The Genuine Progress Index provides an alternative to GDP inspired environmental destruction

by Anne Monette (excerpted)

	Quality of Living and Human Development is a book for further reading on this subject.

Ecological footprint analysis is one of the core components of the Genuine Progress Index (GPI), a new measure that can provide more accurate and comprehensive information on wellbeing and sustainable development than current measures that are based on economic growth rates and related market statistics. GPI Atlantic is currently constructing such an index of sustainable development for Nova Scotia.

Conventionally, economists, politicians and journalists measure progress according to how fast the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is growing. The GDP simply measures the total market value of goods and services produced, and the total amount of consumer spending. But measuring wellbeing and progress in this way sends misleading signals. Thus, according to the GDP, the more rapidly we deplete our resources, the faster the economy will grow, which, in turn, is interpreted as a sign of wellbeing and progress. In addition, more crime, sickness, pollution, accidents and natural disasters all make the economy grow. The GDP ignores anything that doesn't have a price tag - like volunteer work and vital life-supporting services provided by nature.

In contrast, the GPI attempts to account for our social, environmental and economic health. Its 22 components include natural resource accounts, time use variables (including the value of unpaid work and free time), and indicators of health, educational attainment, livelihood security, equity and environmental quality. The GPI counts liabilities like crime, pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, sickness and accidents as costs, rather than gains, to the economy.

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