Economy is not the only measure of success

News.., Poverty & regeneration — By CMcNeill on 16/09/2011 9:00 am

ECONOMIC growth should be dropped as a way of defining the success of the nation, says an influential group of development charities.

The group says that social and environmental factors should be included, arguing that economic growth is “one of many means” but not an end in itself. The call was made in a submission to MSPs by more than 30 bodies, including Oxfam and WWF.

Among the recommendations, the SNP administration is being asked to adopt a new target, “flourishing”, which would look at subjective measures such as mental wellbeing and income distribution.

The country’s environmental impact should also be considered by tracking land and water use, carbon emissions and biodiversity loss. The group called for a report on “wellbeing, equality and environmental quality” to be published alongside Gross Domestic Product, the standard economic measure of performance.

Katherine Trebeck, Oxfam Scotland policy adviser, said: “Economic growth isn’t a true measure of how well a society is doing. It ignores far too many valuable things, such as voluntary work or leisure time.

“While a growing economy may help, I believe that our longterm wellbeing and prosperity are created by many other factors, like health or the amount of time someone has to spend with their family, and those should be reflected in the way the Scottish Government measures its own performance.”

Dr Dan Barlow, of environment charity WWF, said: “Ultimately this is an important debate about what type of Scotland we all want to live in.

“We need to track progress on many issues fundamental to our wellbeing and our future and ensure that government decisions reflect these priorities.”

The government is reviewing its National Performance Framework, which includes the purpose of government and its strategic goals.

Tags: Oxfam, TFN 653 - 16 September 2011, WWF