Dashboard for a New Economy

The World Economic Forum argues that relying solely on GDP growth is insufficient for a holistic post-pandemic recovery. It proposes a 'Dashboard for a New Economy' based on four pillars: Prosperity, Planet, People, and Institutions. This framework advocates for updating GDP to include non-market activities, monitoring social mobility and resilience, and prioritizing the energy transition. The report assesses the current recovery, noting diverging GDP paths among major economies and a tendency for fiscal stimulus to favor fossil fuels over clean energy, while calling for a 'Great Reset' in economic policy targets.

• The report proposes a new macroeconomic framework organized around four dimensions—prosperity, planet, people, and institutions—to move beyond GDP as the sole measure of economic success. This framework is designed to be consistent with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and ESG dimensions.
• The authors argue that the definition of GDP must be updated to include non-market activities, such as care work and digital activity, while excluding extractive financial and environmental activities.
• Global GDP recovery is currently uneven, with China and Germany leading while the US, France, Italy, Spain, and the UK lag. High- and middle-income countries are expected to return to 2019 GDP levels by the first half of 2022, while low-income countries are expected to recover by the second half of 2022.
• Fiscal stimulus in G20 countries has largely maintained the status quo regarding climate change; a study of 300 measures worth over $7.3 trillion found only 4% were targeted at reducing GHG emissions. Furthermore, 53% of public recovery money spent on the energy sector until September 2020 supported fossil fuel production, compared to 34% for clean energy.
• The report identifies significant risks of increased wealth inequality due to a persistent disconnect between the US stock market and labour market dynamics, as well as the potential for a regressive climate transition if not managed carefully.
• Debt default risks are significantly higher for low- and middle-income countries compared to high-income countries, with expected default risks of just under 50% and around 30% respectively, versus 15% for high-income countries.

APA

World Economic Forum (2020). Dashboard for a New Economy. http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Dashboard_for_a_New_Economy_2020.pdf

Chicago

World Economic Forum. Dashboard for a New Economy. 2020. http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Dashboard_for_a_New_Economy_2020.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Economic Forum |title=Dashboard for a New Economy |date=October 2020 |url=http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Dashboard_for_a_New_Economy_2020.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldeconomicforum2020dashboard, author = {{World Economic Forum}}, title = {{Dashboard for a New Economy}}, institution = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2020}, month = oct, url = {http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Dashboard_for_a_New_Economy_2020.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }