Editorial | Going beyond GDP: what for and how? | Marc Fleurbaey

What new indicators should be used to measure economic performance and social progress beyond the limits of gross domestic product (GDP)*?
In this editorial, Marc Fleurbaey identifies four issues that could improve this measurement: quality of life, inequality, the environment and the redefinition of the corporate mission.

* GDP is used to calculate economic growth, i.e. changes in the production of goods and services on the national territory from one year to the next.
Source: Ministère de l’Économie, des Finances et de la Souveraineté industrielle et numérique.

Marc Fleurbaey is professor at the Paris School of Economics and senior researcher at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS). He is also co-holder of the Measurement in Economics, Nowcasting – Beyond GDP Chair. His research focuses on welfare economics, social choice theory, well-being, public economics and climate policy.

Read more

• Blanchet D. & Pesme C., 2023, “Coûts de la transition climatique et niveau de vie des ménages : quels indicateurs pour quels constats ?”, Economie et Statistique, to be published.
• Boarini R., Fleurbaey M., Murtin F. & Schreyer P., 2022, “Well-being during the great recession: new evidence from a measure of multi-dimensional living standards with heterogeneous preferences”, Scandinavian Journal of Economics, 124: pp 104-138.
• World Inequality Report, World Inequality Lab, Paris.
• Germain J.-M. & Lellouch T., 2020, “Prix social du carbone et engagement pour le climat : des pistes pour une comptabilité économique environnementale ?”, INSEE Analyses No 56.
• Fleurbaey M., 2020, “Why corporate purpose matters”, Global Solutions Journal, 5.

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