Abstract
With COVID-19 receding, many countries are pondering what a post-pandemic economy should look like. Some advocate a more inclusive stakeholder model of capitalism. Others caution that this would be insufficient to deal with our pre-pandemic crises of income inequality and climate change.
Many countries emphasize a ‘green growth recovery’ with improved funding for health and social protection. Progressive tax reform and fiscal policy innovations are needed, but there is concern that the world is already tilting towards a new round of austerity.
Fundamentally, the capitalist growth economy rests on levels of material consumption that are unsustainable and inequitable. More radical proposals thus urge ‘degrowth’ (fair growth, post-growth) policies to reduce consumption levels while redistributing wealth and income to allow the poorer half of humanity to achieve an ethical life expectancy. We know the policy tools needed to do so. An activist public health movement can help to ensure there is sufficient political will to adopt them.
Biography
Ronald Labonté is Emeritus Professor at School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Canada. He is also a member of Steering Council, People’s Health Movement.
Comment by
Ole Petter Ottersen - former Rector at Karolinska Institutet and the University of Oslo, Chair of the Univ Oslo-Lancet Commission of Global Governance for Health.
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What are SHEtalks
SHEtalks are a serial of informal research seminars held at Center for Sustainable Healthcare Education, University of Oslo. SHEtalks are research lunch lectures. The spring 2023 program was put together by researcher Gabriela Saldanha. Seminars take place at Thursdays at noon (GTM+1) unless otherwise specified. They may be delivered and attended in person or via zoom.