Event marks the publishing of 'Prosperity without Growth', by Tim Jackson
The Brazilian edition of 'Prosperity without growth: economics for a finite planet', by British economist Tim Jackson, a book of immense international repercussion in recent years, will be launched on October 30 at 11 am, during an event with the participation of author at the School of Economics, Management and Accounting (FEA) of the University of São Paulo (USP).
Titled 'Prosperidade sem crescimento', a literal translation of the original, but subtitled 'Vida boa em um planeta finito' ('A good life on a finite planet'), the Brazilian edition is published by the Planeta Sustentável initiative (São Paulo: Editora Planeta Sustentável, 314 p.), which organized the event together with the IEA’s Society and the Environment Research Group.
In addition to Jackson, the event will be attended by Samuel de Abreu Pessôa, professor at FGV-RJ, and Ricardo Abramovay, professor at FEA and at USP’s Institute of Institutional Relations. The encounter will be mediated by Pedro Jacobi, coordinator of the IEA’s Research Group on Society and the Environment.
The book
'Prosperity without Growth' is a scathing critique of how natural resources are being used by contemporary society, driven by increasing levels of consumption and the imperative of economic growth.
According to Jackson, this model has led to a serious ecological and economic crisis, resulted in an uneven distribution of its accrued benefits, and revealed itself incapable to bring about prosperity. That is why Gross Domestic Product (GDP) should not be used as a benchmark for the welfare and happiness, says the author. Likewise, financial sustainability should be considered in tandem with environmental sustainability, to which it is closely linked.
The book not only questions the very pillars upon which global economic policy is grounded, highlighting its inherent unsustainability in the face of limited natural resources, but also presents proposals on how to make the transition to a sustainable economy where prosperity may be achieved without growth.
The author
Jackson is professor of Sustainable Development at the University of Surrey, UK, director of the Sustainable Lifestyles Research Group (SLRG) at the same institution and a member of the Advisory Board of the Danish investment fund New Energy Solutions. He was economics commissioner on the Sustainable Development Commission of the United Kingdom, a job that culminated in “Prosperity without growth: economics for a finite planet.” Jackson served as a consultant to a number of government departments and agencies, including the European Environment Agency, the European Parliament and New Zealand’s Parliamentary Commission for the Environment. His studies focus on the relationships between lifestyle, well-being, social values and the environment.
The event is open to the public and will be held in room E-1, at FEA. It will be broadcast live over the web at www.iea.usp.br/aovivo.