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On sustainability and social welfare

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  • Fleurbaey, Marc

Abstract

This paper proposes to define sustainability in terms of leaving it possible for future generations to sustain certain defined targets. It is shown that variants of genuine savings and the ecological footprint can then serve as indicators of sustainability. The link between sustainability and intergenerational welfare is examined, and it is shown how to incorporate indicators of sustainability into a social welfare measure, including risk in the analysis.

Suggested Citation

  • Fleurbaey, Marc, 2015. "On sustainability and social welfare," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 34-53.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jeeman:v:71:y:2015:i:c:p:34-53
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jeem.2015.02.005
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Cairns, Robert D. & Del Campo, Stellio & Martinet, Vincent, 2019. "Sustainability of an economy relying on two reproducible assets," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 145-160.
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    3. Cairns, Robert D. & Martinet, Vincent, 2021. "Growth and long-run sustainability," Environment and Development Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 26(4), pages 381-402, August.
    4. John M. Hartwick & Ngo Van Long, 2020. "Sustainability with endogenous discounting," International Journal of Economic Theory, The International Society for Economic Theory, vol. 16(2), pages 216-221, June.
    5. Nematollahi, Mohammadreza & Tajbakhsh, Alireza & Mosadegh Sedghy, Bahareh, 2021. "The reflection of competition and coordination on organic agribusiness supply chains," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    6. Pedro Gajardo & Luc Doyen, 2018. "Viability standards and multi-criteria maximin," Cahiers du GREThA (2007-2019) 2018-04, Groupe de Recherche en Economie Théorique et Appliquée (GREThA).
    7. Banerjee, Kuntal, 2017. "Suppes–Sen maximality of cyclical consumption: The neoclassical growth model," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 51-65.
    8. Vincent Martinet & Pedro Gajardo & Michel De Lara & Héctor Ramírez Cabrera, 2011. "Bargaining with intertemporal maximin payoffs," EconomiX Working Papers 2011-7, University of Paris Nanterre, EconomiX.
    9. Koji Tokimatsu & Louis Dupuy & Nick Hanley, 2019. "Using Genuine Savings for Climate Policy Evaluation with an Integrated Assessment Model," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 72(1), pages 281-307, January.
    10. Martinet, Vincent & Del Campo, Stellio & Cairns, Robert D., 2022. "Intragenerational inequality aversion and intergenerational equity," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 144(C).
    11. Bluszcz Anna, 2016. "Classification of the European Union member states according to the relative level of sustainable development," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 50(6), pages 2591-2605, November.
    12. Geir B. Asheim & Tapan Mitra, 2021. "Characterizing sustainability in discrete time," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 71(2), pages 461-481, March.
    13. Aronsson, Thomas & Johansson-Stenman, Olof, 2014. "Genuine Saving and Conspicuous Consumption," Working Papers in Economics 605, University of Gothenburg, Department of Economics.
    14. Jobst Heitzig & Wolfram Barfuss & Jonathan F. Donges, 2018. "A Thought Experiment on Sustainable Management of the Earth System," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-25, June.
    15. Alan Randall, 2021. "Resource Scarcity and Sustainability—The Shapes Have Shifted but the Stakes Keep Rising," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-16, May.
    16. Iwona Bak & Malgorzata Kurtz, 2022. "Challenges on the Way to Implement Goals of Sustainable Development - Reducing Inequalities," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(2), pages 263-276.
    17. Mikelis Grivins & Talis Tisenkopfs & Zaklina Stojanovic & Bojan Ristic, 2016. "A Comparative Analysis of the Social Performance of Global and Local Berry Supply Chains," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(6), pages 1-20, June.
    18. Holzer, Jorge & Olson, Lars J., 2021. "Precautionary buffers and stochastic dependence in environmental policy," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 106(C).
    19. Cairns, Robert D., 2018. "Economic Accounting in the Simple Hotelling Model," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 18-27.
    20. Francesco Zecca & Natalia Rastorgueva, 2017. "Knowledge management as a key stone of sustainable welfare in the Italian rural areas," RIVISTA DI STUDI SULLA SOSTENIBILITA', FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 0(1), pages 183-201.
    21. Hartwick, John M. & Long, Ngo Van, 2018. "Sustainability with endogenous discounting when utility depends on consumption and amenities," Mathematical Social Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 31-36.
    22. Barbara Duvnjak & Andrej Kohont, 2021. "The Role of Sustainable HRM in Sustainable Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-19, September.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Sustainability; Genuine savings; Ecological footprint; Social welfare; Overlapping generations;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D6 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics
    • D9 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics
    • O2 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Development Planning and Policy
    • Q5 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics

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