‘An equal and habitable world is possible’: academics set out sweeping vision for planetary survival
Global report provides an alternative to climate breakdown, political extremism and economic tensions
TL;DR
- A new report by the World Inequality Lab (WIL) presents a vision for planetary survival, aiming to raise living standards, reduce inequality, and keep global heating within 2C.
- Key policy proposals include wealth taxes on billionaires, reduced working hours (aiming for 1,000 hours per year), dietary changes (less red meat), and shifting investment towards education and health.
- If implemented, these measures could double the incomes of 89% of the world's population by 2100 and prevent catastrophic climate scenarios.
- The report contrasts this vision with ideologies promoting more fossil fuels and inequality, emphasizing a cultural and political battle for a cooperative redistribution of resources.
- Core to the plan is the concept of sufficiency, promoting a prosperous life without excessive material consumption that harms the environment.
- Significant wealth redistribution is proposed, aiming to reduce the share held by billionaires and increase the share for the bottom 50% of the population.
- Achieving these goals requires a global justice fund, increased spending on education and healthcare to 38% of world GDP, and a world sovereign fund to rebalance global wealth holdings.
- Authors acknowledge the vision may seem utopian but stress its necessity to demonstrate alternative possibilities for a habitable and equal future.