Beyond GDP – Sustainable Development Indicators for New Zealand

Dr Kennedy Graham MP Friday 8 June at 7.30 pm Lecture Theatre A4 University of Canterbury

At a joint SOC/UC Sustainability Office presentation in March, Professor Murray Patterson showed us that assessing how NZ is doing can take a step forward with a Genuine Progress Indicator for New Zealand (GPINZ), that extends measurement of costs and benefits beyond the crude ‘money-go-round’ of GDP. Sustainable Development Indicators complement GPINZ by including the impact of policies and behaviours on ‘natural capital’ (the stock of natural ecosystems that yields a flow of valuable goods or services e.g. trees, fresh water, erosion control) that underpin human society. Currently natural capital is treated as free goods leading to a ‘tragedy of the commons’ such as the collapse of fisheries worldwide. Dr Kennedy Graham will show how this draw down of natural capital can be addressed to make NZ strongly sustainable.

Venue location: see maps.canterbury.ac.nz/home/search?q=A4%20Lecture%20Theatre

Entry is free but a gold coin donation would be appreciated