The new social contract

This briefing by the Green Economy Coalition argues that the existing social contract is broken due to rising inequality and distrust in institutions. It proposes the creation of a new, intersectional social contract that integrates human wellbeing with planetary health to ensure a just transition to a green economy.

• The current social contract is considered broken, characterized by growing global inequalities and a decline in trust toward governments, businesses, and media. In 2019, only 45% of citizens trusted their governments according to the OECD, and four out of five people in the OECD believe income disparities in their countries are too large.
• Rising inequality and distrust are identified as obstacles to the transition toward a sustainable and climate-resilient economic system. Achieving a 'just transition' requires deep social support and the recognition that inclusive green economies can address systemic inequality.
• There is an emerging political opportunity to redefine the social contract, driven by calls from youth movements, labour movements, UN bodies, and the World Economic Forum. This is supported by an increase in climate litigation, with the total number of cases more than doubling since 2015 according to the LSE.
• The Green Economy Coalition aims to build an intersectional alliance to highlight mechanisms for renegotiating a social contract that addresses climate change, environmental breakdown, and inequality. This vision incorporates elements of racial justice, gender justice, indigenous rights, decent work, and intergenerational justice.

APA

Mohamed, N. (n.d.). The new social contract. Green Economy Coalition. https://www.greeneconomycoalition.org/assets/reports/GM2021/Social-Contract_GEC_Najma-Mohamed_Final.pdf

Chicago

Mohamed, Najma. The new social contract. Green Economy Coalition, n.d. https://www.greeneconomycoalition.org/assets/reports/GM2021/Social-Contract_GEC_Najma-Mohamed_Final.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Mohamed |first1=Najma |title=The new social contract |publisher=Green Economy Coalition |url=https://www.greeneconomycoalition.org/assets/reports/GM2021/Social-Contract_GEC_Najma-Mohamed_Final.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mohamedndnew, author = {Mohamed, Najma}, title = {{The new social contract}}, institution = {Green Economy Coalition}, url = {https://www.greeneconomycoalition.org/assets/reports/GM2021/Social-Contract_GEC_Najma-Mohamed_Final.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }