Éloi Laurent is senior economist at the Sciences Po Centre for Economic Research (OFCE) in Paris. He also teaches at Stanford University and has been a visiting professor at Harvard University. He is the author or editor of fifteen books.
How moving beyond GDP will improve well-being and sustainability
Never before in human history have we produced so much data, and this empirical revolution has shaped economic research and policy profoundly. But are we measuring, and thus managing, the right things-those that will help us solve the real social, economic, political, and environmental challenges of the twenty-first century? In Measuring Tomorrow, Éloi Laurent argues that we need to move away from narrowly useful metrics such as gross domestic product and instead use broader ones that aim at well-being, resilience, and sustainability. By doing so, countries will be able to shift their focus away from infinite and unrealistic growth and toward social justice and quality of life for their citizens.
The time has come for these broader metrics to become more than just descriptive, Laurent argues; applied carefully by private and public decision makers, they can foster genuine progress. He begins by taking stock of the booming field of well-being and sustainability indicators, and explains the insights that the best of these can offer. He then shows how these indicators can be used to develop new policies, from the local to the global.
An essential resource for scholars, students, and policymakers, Measuring Tomorrow covers all aspects of well-being-including health, education, and the environment-and incorporates a broad range of data and fascinating case studies from around the world: not just the United States and Europe but also China, Africa, the Middle East, and India. "In this book, Éloi Laurent addresses the challenge of ensuring that measurement of the economy reflects all the dimensions of what society values, including the sustainable use of resources. This is a practical contribution to the increasingly salient agenda of going 'beyond GDP' in setting metrics to guide public policy, incorporating indicators of environmental quality and well-being."-Diane Coyle, author of GDP: A Brief but Affectionate History "Measuring Tomorrow maps the terrain of a burgeoning field, drawing together a wealth of information and insights on the measurement of human and ecological well‐being, and contrasting new measures with the conventional narrow focus on GDP."-James K. Boyce, University of Massachusetts Amherst "Measuring Tomorrow has important things to say about how we can make sustainability and well-being more central to our politics and societies."-Daniel Mügge, University of Amsterdam
