Catch-up and inclusion for a sustainable world

• Economic inequality makes societies less sustainable by creating negative externalities and increasing tensions. Therefore, one factor that can contribute to increased sustainability is reduced global inequality. This can be achieved via reductions of within-country and between-country inequality. Wealthy countries can increase the sustainability of the world by helping reduce inequality between nations in incomes and social welfare, i.e. support the economic and social catch-up-processes of the poor countries. The paper discusses the role and usefulness for the policy makers of the governments of individual countries and the international community of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)- It briefly discusses whether welfare states are providers of high quality of life to citizens, i.e. whether it makes sense to seek to the spread welfare state like policies implied by the SDGs. The paper seeks to determine whether their spread has increased the sustainability of countries as well as the whole global system. It finally discusses what can be done with the help of aid and other transfers or by redesigning the global system in ways that favours the poor more than the current one.

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Ekonomi och näringsliv -- Nationalekonomi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Economics and Business -- Economics (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Catch-up

inclusion

sustainability

inequality.

Publikations- och innehållstyp

vet (ämneskategori)

kap (ämneskategori)