Project description
New framework to secure well-being of all generations
Relying solely on economic growth to achieve sustainable well-being poses significant challenges. The growth of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is slowing down, while its environmental and social costs are on the rise. This trade-off puts the well-being of current and future generations at risk. With this in mind, the EU-funded WISER project will develop an evidenced-based economic development framework that prioritises the well-being of all generations. The project aims to foster GDP and productivity growth, while ensuring inclusive well-being. It employs multidisciplinary approaches, drawing from case studies in Africa and other regions. WISER analyses the relationships that reconcile economic growth with sustainable, high well-being, taking into account gender perspectives and the needs of disadvantaged groups.
Objective
The focus on economic growth as an instrument to lead societies towards sustainable high well-being is increasingly problematic. While Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth is slowing, its environmental and social costs are increasing, such that continued reliance on GDP growth entails a trade-off between the well-being of current versus future generations. In addition, research shows that higher GDP generally hardly improves people’s subjective well-being. To better support policy options, our project aims to develop a new economic development framework that provides evidence-based and theoretically-sound policy insights on how to raise well-being of present generations (leaving no one behind) without sacrificing future well-being. We will identify how GDP growth and productivity growth can be promoted and invested in well-being, focusing on relationships that reconcile economic growth and sustainable high well-being while leaving no person and place behind. We will analyze how these relationships work at different subgroup levels, by explicitly considering gender perspectives and disadvantaged groups. The project’s multi-disciplinary approach integrates knowledge from different disciplines, combining quantitative and qualitative techniques to generate solid evidence. Our case studies will permit deriving important lessons from different regions of the world, Africa in particular. Moreover, the relevance of our policy recommendations will be supported by insights from and interaction with stakeholders. Within the triadic goals of well-being, sustainability, and productivity, the project looks for possible win-win-win pathways, producing a new economic development framework that provides insight into how societies can use greater productivity to aim at greater human well-being. Policymakers will be helped by means of a dashboard and green book, which provide guidance how to achieve sustainable growth and maximize well-being.
Fields of science
Keywords
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-RIA - HORIZON Research and Innovation ActionsCoordinator
6419 AT Heerlen
Netherlands
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Participants (21)
7522 NB Enschede
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26006 Logrono
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70174 Stuttgart
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2006 Johannesburg
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56126 Pisa
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1468 Luxembourg
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
53100 Siena
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7925 CAPE TOWN
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Cali
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85579 Neubiberg
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00580 Helsinki
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28040 Madrid
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- DAR ES SALAAM
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18 Lima
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265 04 Rio Patras
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ASH Kumasi
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050711 Bucuresti
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10101 KARATINA
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13156 Berlin
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31000 ORAN
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00100 Nairobi
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Partners (2)
Partner organisations contribute to the implementation of the action, but do not sign the Grant Agreement.
S10 2TN Sheffield
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Partner organisations contribute to the implementation of the action, but do not sign the Grant Agreement.
1093 Budapest
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