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Beyond GDP: How Sustainable Development Improves Human Wellbeing

University of Oxford professor Jan-Emmanuel De Neve discusses the power of measuring wellbeing and how this data can further considerations of GDP to include environmental and social elements.
Jan-Emmanuel
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The conversation around mental health has gotten louder over the past decades, but Covid-19 has illuminated not only just how important personal wellbeing is, but also the effects it should have on policy.

Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, professor of economics and director, Wellbeing Research Centre, University of Oxford talks with BoF’s editor-in-chief Imran Amed about the need to consider and tangibly measure mental wellbeing, and how those considerations can and should impact GDP. In collecting this data, De Neve said he focused on asking one question in particular: “On a scale of one to 10, how satisfied are you with your life these days?”

“In terms of building back better that means we need to start measuring it properly,” stated De Neve. “We have to measure what we treasure.”

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