The Happy Planet Index, the world’s best-known measure of sustainable wellbeing, is 20 years old. It assesses how ecologically efficient countries are at achieving wellbeing using just three indicators: self-reported wellbeing, life expectancy, and ecological footprint.
When the Index was first created, in 2006, GDP was the undisputed marker of national success. Since then, HoC and others have built up a Beyond GDP movement that has transformed the statistical world. Subjective wellbeing is now measured in official surveys in most wealthy countries. Many countries, from Iceland to Italy to Malaysia, have established Beyond GDP programmes. And this year, the UN is taking serious steps into the agenda, with the establishment of an Intergovernmental Process to make recommendations for going Beyond GDP. These are important successes, bringing us closer to a world where economic growth does not always trump other goals in policy decisions.
But the HPI was never just about numbers, or even just about policy. It has always been about our understanding of what a good life is. Do we need to be rich to have a good life? Do we need to destroy the planet to do so?
In this webinar, we celebrate the launch of the 7th edition of the HPI. The central stories remain the same: it is not the wealthiest countries that come closest to a good life, and good lives don’t have to cost the earth. We also present new exciting analyses on the relationship comparing men and women on the HPI, and individual level data.
And we’ll introduce the next step in the HPI journey: the development of tailor-made HPI education materials for school children aged 11–13.
Speaking:
- Dr. Vanessa Timmer (host)— Executive Director and Co-Founder of OneEarth Living. Global expert in systems change and sustainable living, working with partners from IKEA to the UN
- Nic Marks — Creator of the Happy Planet Index, Founder of Friday Pulse
- Dr. Saamah Abdallah — Co-creator of the Happy Planet Index and current HPI project lead
- Ann Finlayson — Founder and CEO of SEEd (Sustainability and Environmental Education)
- Dr. Morgan Phillips — Founder of the Miracle Inn. 13 years experience in sustainable development education, including the Good Life Schools project in England and Wales
If you are interested in working towards a more sustainable society, be it through indicators, narratives, politics or education, join us on October 22nd, 16:00 CEST, to mark 20 years of the HPI, hear the latest results, and help shape what comes next.
