A New Social Settlement for People and Planet

August 1, 2014

The interests of people and the planet are bound together and depend on each other. Yet social and environmental policies are too often stuck in separate silos, as though it barely matters how deeply they affect each other. Proposals for reforming the welfare state seldom nod at the limits of ecological resources, with just a handful of honourable exceptions. Current policies to reduce carbon emissions, such as they are, are shaped by the pursuit of economic growth, far more than human well-being.

xx

Image source: nef

NEF is looking for ways to build a new social settlement that can face the challenges of the 21st century. This means planning for social justice and environmental sustainability as part of an integrated system, not as two separate goals.

It’s important to understand how they are linked and how to create virtuous circles of policy and practice that bring mutually reinforcing benefits. So that what’s good for society is good for the environment – and vice versa.
 
As we argue in our new working paper, widening inequalities and accelerating damage to the natural environment are rooted together in the workings of the capitalist economy. The economy couldn’t function without social and natural resources. Yet, in the relentless drive to accumulate, it treats them as though they are infinitely exploitable. Of course they are not. The result is cumulative harm to society and environment.

Tags: building resilient communities, Creating Sustainable Societies, Social justice, Sustainability

Leave a Comment