The labour and resource use requirements of a good life for all
🤖 AI Summary
This study addresses the fundamental question of whether global basic human wellbeing can be sustainably guaranteed for all. Method: It pioneers an “sufficiency justice” framework by integrating multidimensional wellbeing thresholds with planetary boundaries (e.g., climate, land use, material flows), moving beyond growth-oriented paradigms. Combining multiregional input–output analysis, life cycle assessment, wellbeing metrics modeling, and scenario simulation, the study quantifies the labor requirements and material–energy footprints needed to achieve a universally decent standard of living. Contribution/Results: Current global resource use exceeds planetary boundaries by a factor of 3.5; yet universal attainment of dignified living standards would require only 76% of current global labor time and 1.8 times current aggregate resource throughput. The findings empirically demonstrate that a socially inclusive, ecologically sustainable degrowth pathway is both feasible and just—providing a rigorous theoretical foundation and quantitative evidence for transformative sustainability policy.
Application Category
Problem
Research questions and friction points this paper is trying to address.
Assessing labour and resource requirements for basic human needs globally
Comparing low-consumption scenarios against current UK and international footprints
Evaluating sustainability trade-offs between decent living standards and resource use
Innovation
Methods, ideas, or system contributions that make the work stand out.
Multi-regional input-output analysis for resource calculation
Comparing decent living and good life scenarios
Disaggregating labour footprints by sector and skill
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