Rethinking the economy within planetary boundaries

Abstract

Under the current socio-ecological crisis, the 21st century presents us with a colossal challenge: to be able to accommodate in a fair and peaceful way the well-being of the growing human population in a planet of limited ecological space and finite natural resources. The rising unsustainability of the current economic model and the lifestyle associated with it is beginning to collide with the planetary boundaries, and we are running out of time to adopt a global and coordinated response that is up to such an extraordinary challenge. Over the next few years, human beings must be able to overcome the current consumerist conception of human well-being and rethink the true raison d’être of the economy on a finite planet that is bounded by impassable biophysical restrictions. The time has come to accept the challenge of building a good life for all within planetary boundaries. Our future as a species at the dawn of the new millennium will depend on it.