Description
Book SynopsisWhat Really Counts is an essential, firsthand story of the promise and challenges of accounting for social, economic, and environmental benefits. Ronald Colman recounts two decades of working with three governments to adopt measures capable of quantifying factors that GDP overlooks.
Trade ReviewThis moving firsthand saga explains why brilliant solutions so often languish on the periphery of public policy.
What Really Counts is the compelling and inspiring story of a life dedicated to promoting holistic progress measures. It charts a practical and painfully learned path to the saner sustainable future we all need. -- Jigmi Y. Thinley, former prime minister of Bhutan
What Really Counts is a fantastic journey on a topic that should be at the core of the transformation of our economies and societies. We urgently need this perspective, especially after our COVID-19 shutdowns, to take our world onto a sustainable development path. -- Enrico Giovannini, Italian minister for sustainable infrastructures and mobility and former OECD chief statistician
Ronald Colman is an unstoppable pioneer recognizing the need to “measure what you treasure.” His roadmap, built on creating a Genuine Progress Index in Canada and on his many years working with the government of Bhutan, is a must-read for anyone interested in building a future that works for all. A page-turner! -- Mathis Wackernagel, cocreator of the Ecological Footprint and cofounder of the Global Footprint Network
Unique, important, compelling, and timely,
What Really Counts gets below the surface of what keeps our misguided reliance on GDP in place. Colman uncovers the political forces and vested interests involved with GDP measures and how they work together to stifle meaningful change toward a sustainable well-being economy and planet. -- Robert Costanza, University College London, cofounder of the field of ecological economics
I had the pleasure of working with Ronald Colman on the establishment of GPI Atlantic. He worked tirelessly on this mission in Nova Scotia and Bhutan, producing first-class, thoroughly researched reports that push for political change on levels from local to international. This book is timely and readable in its understanding measures of progress in terms of social and intergenerational equity. -- Hans Messinger, former director of industry measures, Statistics Canada
Table of ContentsA Note to Readers: Coronavirus—a Turning Point for Humanity?
Prologue
1. The Magic Number
2. Counting What Matters
3. A Nova Scotia Start
4. The New Measures in Action
5. Scaling Up
6. Challenges Behind the Scenes
7. Genuine Progress Meets Politics
8. A New Zealand Interlude
9. Invitation to Bhutan
10. (Mis)Measuring Gross National Happiness
11. Educating for Gross National Happiness
12. The Gap Between Words and Action
13. A “New Economic Paradigm” for the World
14. Can Genuine Progress Really Happen?
15. Forging a New Economy
Acknowledgments
Notes
Index
