In July, we published the 7th edition of the Happy Planet Index (HPI), a key alternative to GDP that measures progress in terms of long, happy lives while taking into account the Earth’s limited resources. Last week, we celebrated the HPI’s 20th anniversary in a webinar, looking back at its achievements and ahead to an exciting new chapter.
Good lives that don’t cost the Earth
The HPI challenges the idea that GDP is a good measure of progress. Instead, it asks a more fundamental question: how well do we live, and at what cost to the planet?
It measures wellbeing per unit of ecological resources: how efficiently countries turn the planet’s resources into long, happy lives. The ecological footprint, developed by Global Footprint Network, is essential to this approach, revealing the environmental demands of our lifestyles and allowing us to assess whether wellbeing is achieved within the Earth’s ecological limits. This brings social justice into the picture. If planetary resources are finite, how can we ensure that everyone has a fair share?
The HPI keeps things simple, using just three indicators to measure what matters. It connects the resources we use (inputs) with the wellbeing we achieve (outcomes), while recognising the importance of the conditions that make good lives possible, such as education, governance and access to housing, even though these are not included in the index itself. Thanks to its conceptual simplicity, the HPI is not only a measure but also a powerful communication tool that challenges established policy mindsets and citizens’ perceptions and aspirations.
The latest edition challenges the widely held belief that we need high levels of consumption to live well. For the first time, we calculated individual HPI scores using survey data. The findings show that, across several countries, some people enjoy high wellbeing with a relatively low carbon footprint. Our lifestyles matter, but individual responsibility is only part of the story. We are all embedded in production systems and value systems that can be difficult to escape. This opens up bigger questions: what kind of societies do we want? What economic models should we pursue? If ever-increasing consumption does not necessarily lead to greater wellbeing, are we focusing on the wrong objectives?
Gender matters, too
Another striking finding concerns gender. For the first time, the 7th edition of the HPI has analysed its role at both individual and country levels. Our survey found that women have a higher average individual HPI, mainly due to their longer life expectancy and more sustainable lifestyles, including greater use of public transport and less frequent meat consumption. At country level, HPI scores tend to be higher when governments are led by women. This may reflect differences in governing approaches, including greater prioritisation of social policies, particularly in healthcare and care services. Similar patterns attracted attention during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bringing the HPI into schools
The webinar also marked an exciting new chapter in the HPI’s development: creating educational materials to introduce the HPI to children aged 11–13. The Beyond GDP movement has so far had limited impact on education. However, the Global Footprint Network stands out for its longstanding work in this field, having developed teaching materials and tools that have helped schools and universities measure and manage their ecological footprint for over two decades (see, for example Educational Resources – Global Footprint Network). This new initiative will bring a complementary perspective into the classroom, connecting our use of the planet’s resources with human wellbeing. The first pilot will take place next spring in schools in Germany, England and Wales.
Schools are essential spaces for questioning established ideas of progress and exploring alternative economic models. Introducing the HPI into classrooms can nurture curiosity about the planet and how people live around the world; provide knowledge about the ecological footprint and the environmental cost of different lifestyles; encourage new values essential to the socio-ecological transition; develop critical thinking about what could be different; strengthen students’ sense of agency; and help them understand global social justice, as mentioned previously: everyone deserves a fair share of our planet’s limited resources.
We owe future generations more than economic growth. We owe them a world where people and the planet can thrive together. They will inherit the responsibility of caring for the Earth, and we must give them the knowledge, values and tools to do better than today’s policymakers and business leaders. Because a good life should not cost the Earth.
Access the recording to the webinar here.
Data support for the 2026 report: Global Footprint Network
