Higher levels of consumption do not translate into higher levels of well-being, indicates a report released this Thursday, which highlights that it is possible to have a good life without costing the planet. The data is part of the “Happy Planet Index” (HPI)a document from the German organization “Hot or Cool Institute”, according to which excessive consumption harms the planet and does not help people.
The report indicates that governments must start measuring what matters: the health and well-being of people and the planet. The HPI combines data on well-being, life expectancy and carbon footprint to provide a snapshot of how well countries are doing in providing their citizens with healthy, happy and dignified lives without overburdening the planet.
The document analyzes the efficiency with which countries are managing their resources to provide people with what is really important, health and well-being.
In the index published now, the countries that occupy first place are Vanuatu, Sweden, El Salvador, Costa Rica and Nicaragua. Portugal ranks 11th, scoring well in terms of life expectancy and well-being, but poor in terms of carbon footprint.
On the list, no country scores “good” on all three components of the LPI. The report’s authors note that HPI leaders are countries capable of providing citizens with good levels of health and well-being while limiting the average “per capita” carbon.
There are countries with the same level of environmental impact but that differ substantially in terms of average life expectancy and well-being. Botswana and the Netherlands have the same carbon footprint, but the Netherlands is 14th and Botswana 146th.
Still, according to the study of the 10 countries with the highest GDP, six have IPH scores below average, so “the pursuit of ever-increasing GDP does not lead to what really matters: well-being within environmental limits. ”.
“In many rich countries, high levels of consumption and production are contributing to ecological collapse without providing health and happiness to their citizens,” the document adds.
In the United States, the richest 10% have an average carbon footprint four times larger than the average of the rest of the population. Their well-being results are superior, but only marginally, not four times greater than those of the rest of the population.
The Hot or Cool Institute aims to equip organizations, policymakers and communities with data to make informed decisions for a sustainable and prosperous future, putting people and science at the center of the transition to sustainability.
Source: Observadora
