COVID-19 is an unmissable chance to put people and the planet first

The author contends that the global economic recovery from COVID-19 should replace GDP with a well-being index based on the UN Sustainable Development Goals to create a more resilient system. This transition would involve ending fossil fuel subsidies, prioritizing ecosystem restoration, and ensuring that recovery packages support decarbonization and the rights of indigenous communities.

• The author argues that GDP is an outdated and harmful metric for measuring economic and social progress because it fails to account for the functionality of health services, adherence to planetary boundaries, or social equality.
• A proposed alternative to GDP is a well-being index based on the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals, which would prioritize basic human needs—such as healthcare, food, and housing—while ensuring they remain consistent with a stable environment.
• Economic recovery packages should be used to fund sustainable activities—including ecological farming, ecosystem restoration, and sustainable mobility—while completely eliminating financial incentives, subsidies, and bailouts for fossil fuel extraction and industrial agriculture.
• The author calls for a shift in governance where international agreements like the Paris Agreement, CITES, and the Convention on Biodiversity drive decision-making, and where the rights of indigenous and local communities are central to protecting nature.

APA

Morgan, J. (2020). COVID-19 is an unmissable chance to put people and the planet first. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/covid19-coronavirus-climate-jennifer-morgan-greenpeace/

Chicago

Morgan, Jennifer. COVID-19 is an unmissable chance to put people and the planet first. World Economic Forum, 2020. https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/covid19-coronavirus-climate-jennifer-morgan-greenpeace/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Morgan |first1=Jennifer |title=COVID-19 is an unmissable chance to put people and the planet first |publisher=World Economic Forum |date=24 April 2020 |url=https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/covid19-coronavirus-climate-jennifer-morgan-greenpeace/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{morgan2020covid19, author = {Morgan, Jennifer}, title = {{COVID-19 is an unmissable chance to put people and the planet first}}, publisher = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2020}, month = apr, url = {https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/covid19-coronavirus-climate-jennifer-morgan-greenpeace/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }