Moving Beyond GDP To Achieve The SDGs

This policy brief argues that Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is an insufficient measure of success and a barrier to financing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It advocates for G20 countries to adopt inclusive wealth indicators by 2025 to better account for long-term sustainability and human wellbeing.

• Reliance on GDP as the primary measure of economic prosperity is viewed by the UN Secretary-General as a "glaring blind spot" that contributes to a lack of financing for the 2030 Agenda and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
• Inclusive wealth is proposed as a credible alternative to GDP because it measures the natural, human, social, produced, and financial capital that underpin human wellbeing, making it a strong indicator of sustainability.
• The brief calls for G20 nations to complement GDP with inclusive wealth indicators by 2025 to shift decision-making away from short-term gains and toward the long-term goals of the SDGs and effective climate action.

APA

Smith,, L. B. (2022). Moving Beyond GDP To Achieve The SDGs. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/moving-beyond-gdp-achieve-sdgs

Chicago

Smith,, Livia Bizikova,Robert. Moving Beyond GDP To Achieve The SDGs. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2022. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/moving-beyond-gdp-achieve-sdgs.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Smith, |first1=Livia Bizikova,Robert |title=Moving Beyond GDP To Achieve The SDGs |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=1 September 2022 |url=https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/moving-beyond-gdp-achieve-sdgs |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{smith2022moving, author = {Smith,, Livia Bizikova,Robert}, title = {{Moving Beyond GDP To Achieve The SDGs}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2022}, month = sep, url = {https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/moving-beyond-gdp-achieve-sdgs}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }