Building sustainability through greater happiness

Stefano Bartolini

Department of Economics University of Siena from Department of Economics, University of Siena

Abstract: The current unsustainable growth of the world economy is largely a consequence of the crisis of social capital experienced by much of the world's population. Declining social capital leads the economies to excessive growth, because people seek economic affluence as compensation for the emotional distress and loss of resources caused by scarce social and affective relationships. To slow down economic growth requires an increase in social capital that is a fundamental contributor to happiness. From a wide range of possible approaches to increasing present happiness, this article suggests policies that would shift the economy to a more sustainable path. It focuses on a more politically sustainable set of proposals for a green ‘new deal’ than some of those currently under discussion.

Keywords: Common good; environmentalism; ecologism; economic growth; green economy; happiness; negative endogenous growth; private affluence; social capital; social stress; well-being. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A13 D63 D90 E20 F01 I31 O10 O40 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014-11
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hap, nep-hpe, nep-mac and nep-pke
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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Journal Article: Building sustainability through greater happiness (2014)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:usi:wpaper:703

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