Rethinking What Counts. Perspectives on Wellbeing  and Genuine Progress Indicator Metrics from a Canadian  Viewpoint

doi:10.3390/su5010187

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Sustainability 2013, 5(1), 187-202; doi:10.3390/su5010187

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Rethinking What Counts. Perspectives on Wellbeing and Genuine Progress Indicator Metrics from a Canadian Viewpoint

Jeffrey Wilson^1,2,* and Peter Tyedmers^1,2

¹ School for Resource and Environmental Studies, Faculty of Management, Dalhousie University, 6100 University Ave., Suite 5010, PO Box 15000, Halifax, NS, B3H 4R2, Canada ² College of Sustainability, Dalhousie University, 1459 LeMarchant St., PO Box 15000, Halifax, NS, B3H 4R2, Canada

* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received: 25 September 2012; in revised form: 29 November 2012 / Accepted: 2 January 2013 / Published: 14 January 2013

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Measuring Socio-Economic Well-Being)

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Abstract: A prevailing undercurrent of doubt regarding the merits of economic growth has motivated efforts to rethink how we measure the success of economic policy and societal wellbeing. This article comments on efforts to better account for impacts of economic activity emphasizing genuine progress indicator (GPI) and wellbeing metrics from a Canadian viewpoint. The authors caution that GPI and related metrics are measures of human and social welfare and not adequate to account for the ecological costs associated with economic growth. In addition, the article discusses the suitability of wellbeing models and metrics for local scale applications, recognizing growing interest in these techniques at the urban and local level. The article concludes with a reflection on the uptake of GPI and wellbeing measures highlighting the Canadian experience.

Keywords: genuine progress indicators; sustainability indicators; wellbeing; community; economic growth

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Cite This Article

MDPI and ACS Style

Wilson, J.; Tyedmers, P. Rethinking What Counts. Perspectives on Wellbeing and Genuine Progress Indicator Metrics from a Canadian Viewpoint . Sustainability 2013, 5, 187-202.

AMA Style

Wilson J, Tyedmers P. Rethinking What Counts. Perspectives on Wellbeing and Genuine Progress Indicator Metrics from a Canadian Viewpoint . Sustainability. 2013; 5(1):187-202.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Wilson, Jeffrey; Tyedmers, Peter. 2013. "Rethinking What Counts. Perspectives on Wellbeing and Genuine Progress Indicator Metrics from a Canadian Viewpoint ." Sustainability 5, no. 1: 187-202.

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