CB2 1UR, UK
Polity Press
101 Station Landing
Suite 300
Medford, MA 02155, USA
All rights reserved. Except for the quotation of short passages for the purpose of criticism and review, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.
ISBN-13: 978-1-5095-4782-1
ISBN-13: 978-1-5095-4783-8 (pb)
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Kaplinsky, Raphael, author.
Title: Sustainable futures : an agenda for action / Raphael Kaplinsky.
Description: Cambridge, UK ; Medford, MA : Polity Press, 2021. | Includes bibliographical references and index. | Summary: “How to steer the economy and society to a more sustainable future”-- Provided by publisher.
Identifiers: LCCN 2020053493 (print) | LCCN 2020053494 (ebook) | ISBN 9781509547821 (hardback) | ISBN 9781509547838 (paperback) | ISBN 9781509547845 (epub) | ISBN 9781509548439 (pdf)
Subjects: LCSH: Sustainable development.
Classification: LCC HC79.E5 K3644 2021 (print) | LCC HC79.E5 (ebook) | DDC 338.9/27--dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020053493
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020053494
by Fakenham Prepress Solutions, Fakenham, Norfolk NR21 8NL
The publisher has used its best endeavours to ensure that the URLs for external websites referred to in this book are correct and active at the time of going to press. However, the publisher has no responsibility for the websites and can make no guarantee that a site will remain live or that the content is or will remain appropriate.
Every effort has been made to trace all copyright holders, but if any have been overlooked the publisher will be pleased to include any necessary credits in any subsequent reprint or edition.
For further information on Polity, visit our website: politybooks.com
Dedication
To my grandchildren (Arlo, Kika, Eva and Cam), to my children and their partners (Natasha, Ben, Justin and Nichole) who made them for us, to my godson (Kian) and, of course, to all the grandchildren of the world
In memory of my parents, Morris and Becky, with love and gratitude for building the platform on which our family stands, and to Cecil, who left us too early
Figures
2.1 The expansion of Gross Domestic Product, 1961–2018: World, US and Europe (% per annum)
2.2 Share of investment in equipment and other physical assets (Gross Capital Formation) in GDP
2.3 Annual growth of labour productivity, 1951–2019
2.4 Balance of payments: largest debtor and surplus economies, 1998–2019 ($m)
2.5 Corporate tax rate: France, Germany, US, UK, Japan and Sweden, 1981–2019 (%)
3.1 Top 1% personal wealth share in emerging and rich countries, 1913–2015
3.2 Changes in global inequality, 1980–2016
3.3 Share of labour in total national income, high-income economies, 1960–2012
3.4a Life-expectancy and inequality, 22 OECD economies
3.4b Life-expectancy and inequality, 50 US States
3.5 Health and social problems and degree of inequality, inter-country differences
3.6 Index of status inequality and degree of inequality
3.7 Index of social participation and degree of inequality
3.8 Index of civic participation and degree of inequality
3.9 Belief in conspiracy theories, US and UK
3.10 Inflows of migrants, selected high-income economies, 2006–2016 (millions)
3.11 Immigrant share of population and far-right voting
4.1 The Holocene in historical perspective: not just warm temperatures but stable temperatures
4.2 The Great Acceleration
4.3 Take, Make, Use and Waste
4.4 Energy equivalent global output of different energy forms, 1800–2019 (terawatt hours)
4.5 The growth in global total resource supply, 1970–2010 (million tonnes)
4.6 Index of energy efficiency in the EU, 1990–2014 (1990 = 100)
4.7 Variation of CO2 emissions from transport in the EU, 1990 and 2010 (million tonnes energy equivalent)
4.8 US advertising expenditure, 1990–2017 ($m)
4.9 Rising frequency of natural disasters, 1980–2007
5.1 Six phases of techno-economic paradigms
5.2 US corporate profitability as share of domestic income, 1951–1966 and 1966–1990 (post-tax profits as a share of domestic income, %)
5.3 US corporate profitability as share of domestic income, 1990–2007 (post-tax profits as a share of domestic income, %)
6.1 Six phases of techno-economic paradigms
7.1
