1. Making Well-being Indicators Count 29 th November 2007 Bangkok, Thailand Nic Marks founder of the centre for well-being new economics foundation

2. Who are nef? An independent UK think-tank (founded 1986) Inspired by 3 principles 1.Ecological Sustainability 2.Social Justice 3.People’s Well-being Well-being programme set up in 2001 to address question : What would policy look like if people’s well-being was its aim? Centre for well-being created in 2006 Happy Planet Index 2006 (1m downloads)

3. Making W-B indicators count  What do indicators actually indicate?  Measuring personal well-being  Ecological efficiency and well-being – The Happy Planet Index  Creating Local Well-being indicators  Influencing Policy Formation

4. What do Indicators Indicate? Ecosystem

5. What do Indicators Indicate? Human system Ecosystem

6. What do Indicators Indicate? Human system Ecosystem

7. What do Indicators Indicate? Human system Ecosystem Culture Social Capital Governance Economy Education Healthcare Natural Capital Biodiversity CO 2 emissions Soil erosion Water quality Air quality

8. What do Indicators Indicate? Human system Ecosystem Culture Social Capital Governance Economy Education Healthcare Natural Capital Biodiversity CO 2 emissions Soil erosion Water quality Air quality Resource demand

9. What do Indicators Indicate? Human system Ecosystem Resource demand Ecosystem well-being Human well-being Culture Social Capital Governance Economy Education Healthcare Natural Capital Biodiversity CO 2 emissions Soil erosion Water quality Air quality

10. Ultimate Outcome measures Human system Ecosystem well-being Human well-being Natural Capital Biodiversity CO 2 emissions Soil erosion Water quality Air quality

11. What do we mean by “well-being”? Subjective well-being = People’s experience of their quality of life “Feeling good AND doing well” (a 1960s definition of self-esteem) Often measured by “life satisfaction”

12. GDP and Life Satisfaction A Challenge to the Political Status Quo

13. GDP and Life Satisfaction A Challenge to the Political Status Quo

14. GDP and Life Satisfaction

16. Diminishing marginal returns of well-being to income

19. Year of Widowhood Micro data: Widowhood and Well-being

20. Micro data: Divorce and Well-being Year of Divorce

21. Micro data: Marriages and Well-being

22. Where does our happiness comes from?

23. Making W-B indicators count  What do indicators actually indicate?  Measuring personal well-being  Ecological efficiency and well-being – The Happy Planet Index  Creating Local Well-being indicators  Influencing Policy Formation

24. Ecological Efficiency & W-B UN Human Development Report on Climate Change, Nov 2007: “The world has less than a decade to change course to avoid irreversible ecological catastrophe… Developed countries should cut emissions by at least 30% by 2020 and by 80% by 2050. Developing nations should cut emissions by 20% by the year 2050.”

25. A Happy Planet Index

27.  Launched by nef in July 2006  HDI style rank order of nations  Measure of the “Ecological efficiency with which human well-being is delivered”  Over 1,000,000 downloads to date

28. What HPI measures Human system Ecosystem Resource demand Ecosystem well-being Human well-being Culture Social Capital Governance Economy Education Healthcare Natural Capital Biodiversity CO 2 emissions Soil erosion Water quality Air quality

29. What HPI measures Human system Resource demand Human well-being

30. What HPI measures Human system Resource demand Human well-being

31. What HPI measures Human system Resource demand Human well-being Happy and Long Lives Resource Use

32. What HPI measures Human system Resource demand Human well-being Happy and Long Lives Resource Use (divided by)

33. What HPI measures Human system Resource demand Human well-being (Life Sat) * (Life Exp) Eco Footprint (divided by)

37. Country comparisons Country Life Sat Life Exp Eco Foot HPI Costa Rica Bhutan Thailand UK USA

38. Country comparisons Country Life Sat Life Exp Eco Foot HPI Costa Rica7.5 Bhutan7.6 Thailand6.5 UK7.1 USA7.4

39. Country comparisons Country Life Sat Life Exp Eco Foot HPI Costa Rica7.578.2 Bhutan7.662.9 Thailand6.570.0 UK7.178.4 USA7.477.4

40. Country comparisons Country Life Sat Life Exp Eco Foot HPI Costa Rica7.578.22.1 Bhutan7.662.91.3 Thailand6.570.01.6 UK7.178.45.4 USA7.477.49.5

41. Country comparisons Country Life Sat Life Exp Eco Foot HPI Costa Rica7.578.22.166.0 (3 rd ) Bhutan7.662.91.361.1 (13 th ) Thailand6.570.01.655.4 (32 nd ) UK7.178.45.440.3 (108 th ) USA7.477.49.528.8 (150 th )

42. Ecological Efficiency & W-B Happy Planet Index is a measure of: The environmental (carbon) efficiency of effectively delivering human well-being So we need to be both  “effective” – enhancing personal and social well-being and cultivating happiness  “efficient” – using less resources

43. Well-being and Policy nef’s well-being manifesto: – launched Sept 2004 – covered eight areas of policy – strategy was ‘to start a debate’ – designed to be ‘contagious’ – a lot of mini manifestos out there.. Downloadable from: www.neweconomics.orgwww.neweconomics.org

44. A well-being manifesto 1.Measure what matters 2.Create a well-being economy 3.Reclaim our time 4.Flourishing schools 5.Complete health for the nation 6.Invest in the very early years 7.Authentic advertising (and discourage materialism) 8.Community contribution

45. Investing in well-being Overall population interventions  Safety nets and support systems to alleviate genuine poverty  Community-based investment to facilitate self-organization of local place-based well-being  Creating Quality employment opportunities: good jobs and good employers Investing in, working with the specific groups  Cultivation of Happiness - co-production  The HOW of policy delivery – health, education…  Seeding self-organizing systems that support and challenge people

46. Contact Details: Nic Marks nic.marks@neweconomics.org Other reports downloadable from www.neweconomics.org 1.Chasing Progress – MDP 2.Power & Potential of W-B indicators 3.Well-being Manifesto 4.Well-being and Environment 5.Spoiled Ballot – democracy and well-being 6.Happy Planet Index