Does protecting the planet have to come at the cost of the economy? This study explores the “Triple Bottom Line”—the idea that a country’s success depends on the harmony of social, environmental, and economic factors.
By analyzing data from OECD countries over 14 years, the research proves that social progress is the ultimate engine for growth.
However, the findings also highlight a complex and sometimes “conflicting” reality: under our current global systems, environmental protection is often seen as an economic “brake.” To fix this, the authors argue that we need a new definition of “development.” We must move beyond just tracking GDP and start including environmental health directly into our national scorecards.
For governments, the path forward is clear: boost social well-being to drive the economy, but work harder to find “win-win” scenarios where environmental protection and economic growth finally support, rather than compete with, each other, and where the measures adopted by governments do not produce a short-term benefit but in the long term increase vulnerabilities due to public debt.
Learn more about this study here: https://doi.org/10.3390/resources11050046
Reference
Nogueira, E., Gomes, S., & Lopes, J. M. (2022). The Key to Sustainable Economic Development: A Triple Bottom Line Approach. Resources, 11(5), 46
