A Different World: Imagining a Future of Prosperity and Sustainability

This article envisions a future where global well-being is high, incomes have doubled for 90% of the world's population, and working hours are halved. It describes a world where the poorer half of humanity sees its share of global wealth increase significantly, and everyone has enough without excess. Crucially, this future is achieved while preserving the climate and ensuring the planet can sustain human life. The authors propose this vision as an antidote to bleak techno-authoritarian futures, emphasizing that economic and ecological imperatives can be reconciled. Achieving this requires rapid decarbonization, a shift from overconsumption to 'sufficiency,' and a drastic reduction in inequality.

This vision of a sustainable and equitable future presents a hopeful alternative to current global challenges, emphasizing the possibility of balancing prosperity with planetary health.