Happy Planet Index (HPI)

1. Happy Planet Index (HPI) • Developed by the New Economics Foundation www.neweconomics.org/ • “We aim to improve quality of life by promoting innovative solutions that challenge mainstream thinking on economic, environmental and social issues. We work in partnership and put people and the planet first. Our goal is to promote the concept of well-being as a legitimate and useful aim of policy.” • The HPI shows the ecological efficiency with which human well-being is delivered around the world www.happyplanetindex.org/ • It incorporates (i) a country’s average ecological footprint, (ii) life-satisfaction and (iii) life expectancy • On a scale of 0 to 100, Zimbabwe is at 16.6 and Costa Rica is at 76.1. Canada is at 39.4, Hong Kong at 41.6, and China at 57. • The HPI does not indicate the happiest country or the best place to live. Nor does it indicate the most developed country or the most environmentally friendly. It combines all of these, comparing countries’ progress towards the goal of providing long-term well-being for all without exceeding the limits of equitable resource consumption. • The NEF suggests that all countries should aim at a goal of 89 on the HPI by 2050. Their message is that when we focus on the efficiency with which we turn natural resource inputs into the ultimate goal of long and happy lives, we can all do better.