1 March 2012: The Institute for Studies in Happiness, Economy, and Society (ISHES) has released a report documenting the rise of new economic ideas once considered as alternatives. Titled “Life Beyond Growth,” and authored by Alan AtKisson, the report summarizes the current frameworks, concepts, and methodologies used to promote new economic thinking.

The aim of the report is to provide an update and analysis of the various alternatives to gross domestic product (GDP) being used to define and measure overall national progress. The report first reviews the rise of the “growth paradigm,” and then outlines the challenges to that paradigm, as well as the alternatives to the dominant growth paradigm. It then summarizes the frameworks, concepts and methodologies used to promote “new economic” thinking, such as green growth, green economy, sustainable development, genuine progress, genuine savings, green GDP, gross national happiness, and de-growth.

The report then highlights that there is a likelihood that a new global consensus will emerge in the next few years, consisting of an accelerating shift to green growth combined with increasing acceptance of national happiness measures. However, it concludes that the green economy concept is a better framework for achieving global wellbeing than green growth. It compares the two concepts, underlining that whereas green growth pushes universally for growth, green economy allows for growth where it is needed, but also allows for shrinkages and reductions where these are needed. The report ends by concluding that combining the green economy and national happiness concepts has the potential to provide a clear and actionable vision for sustainability at the global scale, as well as some sense of how to get there.

The report was released on 1 March 2012 to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the release of the Limits to Growth. The report is published by the ISIS Academy, and is intended as the first edition of an annual publication that will provide updates on the status of the current debate and policy shifts related to the issues of economic growth, happiness, and well-being. [Publication: Life Beyond Growth][Press Release]