Across the globe there is growing skepticism about the usefulness of GDP as a measure of national well-being. Consequently, several alternative quality-of-life (QOL) measures were developed which either aim at healing the GDP, complementing it, or replacing it. This chapter portrays some of...

Der Diskurs über die Neuvermessung von Fortschritt und Wohlergehen gewinnt international zunehmend an Bedeutung. Globale Anstrengungen haben das Potenzial, einen Paradigmenwechsel herbeizuführen, der beeinflusst, wie wir Fortschritt definieren und folglich unser Zusammenleben gestalten. Anhand...

While the economic voting hypothesis is a well-researched approach to explain behavior at the ballot box, a broader perspective of economic, social and environmental issues regarding a government’s chances to get re-elected is still missing in the literature. In this context, this paper makes...

All 193 UN member states have pledged to achieve 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), following the guiding principle to leave no one behind. At the same time, rising populist movements increasingly influence the political debate in many countries by challenging multilateral cooperation and...

The challenges of sustainable development are primarily ethical in nature. Guided by a ceaseless quest for profit, today's global economy is synonymous with vast amounts of exclusion, indignity, and environmental devastation. To succeed, therefore, the Sustainable Development Goals require...

In 2017, global investment in renewables and energy efficiency declined by 3% and there is a risk that it will slow further; clearly fossil fuels still dominate energy investment. This could threaten the expansion of green energy needed to provide energy security and meet climate and clean air...

Developing a solid foundation for electronic payment systems is an integral part of ICTdriven development for any country. Compared to cash, e-payment transactions offer the advantages of portability, security, and convenience. For interpersonal transactions, epayments enable instantaneous...

Lilac Nachum's Columbia FDI Perspective argues that society is best served when companies focus on maximizing profits rather than on their social and environmental impacts. This follows the logic of an idealized free-market economy. In practice, we argue, companies should take responsibility for...