New Economics Foundation (nef)

By Sandra Johnson, CAS Member

Tejas and his father Iain are shown here near a glacier
In the Arctic, which has receded greatly due to climate change.

I must confess that when I was first approached to write an article about a company called the “New Economics Foundation” (nef) I had not heard of it before and I didn’t know what it was about. However, with a few easy clicks of my mouse, I was in nef’s website (www.neweconomics.org) and discovered that “nef is an independent think-and-do tank that inspires and demonstrates real economic well-being.” The company’s aim is “to improve quality of life by promoting innovative solutions that challenge mainstream thinking on economic, environment and social issues.” I like it; an organization that aims to put people and the planet first.

These days it seems that many companies are just concerned about making money, and personal and environment issues take a back seat. Not only does nef put these issues in the forefront, it also actively integrates environmental sustainability and social justice into its work.

CAS member and CEO of Ewing Communications in Singapore, Iain Ewing, has a son named Tejas who grew up in Singapore and now works for nef in London, England. I contacted Tejas to find out more about the company and his role with nef.
   
SJ: Your Dad told me how proud he is of you and your new job at nef. He thinks it’s great that you are working for a company that’s trying to make a difference. What did you study at university and how did it prepare you for your role at nef?

I studied ‘Human Geography’ at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. Human Geography is a very interesting subject, which aims to cover the myriad of ways in which humanity interacts with their environment. It covers everything from economic models of resource use, to the social and psychological interpretation of ‘nature’. However, I specialized in Sustainable Development, which is really about how to deal with the considerations of economic growth while giving equal emphasis to social and environmental well-being. In that sense it prepared me well for my role at nef.

SJ: When did you join the nef think-tank and what is your role there?

 I am currently Carbon Markets Coordinator at nef, which means that I deal with improving market mechanisms that aim to respond to the global climate change challenge. For example, carbon trading has been used around the world to try and bring down global emissions, but it has been rather ineffective. I try to make suggestions on how such schemes could be improved. I am currently working on an innovative idea related to private sector financing for climate change adaptation. Climate adaptation involves helping poor communities to deal with the changes in the climate that they are already facing, such as increased risks of drought, flooding or desertification.

SJ: Is this the type of job you always wanted to do?
\Yes, it really is my dream job. I have always been interested in the challenge of uniting economic, social and environmental solutions into a holistic response to the challenges our planet faces. Certainly, when India wants to bring 400 million citizens out of poverty, we can see that economic growth is about much more than just bankers and their bonuses. But such socially
equitable growth must not come at the expense of ourenvironment, otherwise our money won’t be worth very much ina destroyed world.

SJ: Please tell me about nef’s “Happy Planet Index”

This is one of the most important reports that nef hasproduced recently. It challenges the hierarchy that GDP has as a measurement of a country’s global success. We at nef ask: why should money be the only measure of how successful a nation is. This ground breaking index tries to measure well-being as an alternative indicator of success, and found that the richest countries in the world are certainly not the happiest. For example, the three happiest countries in the world, according to the extensive surveys done by nef and its partners are: Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic and Cuba. More information can be found at www.happyplanetindex.org

SJ: What do you think the world will be like in twenty years?

Well we will certainly be facing a warmer planet, with significantly more extreme weather events, and more variable weather patterns. In twenty years, we will see the reality of climate change. While most discussion of climate change now revolves around models and predictions, in twenty years, we can discuss climate change based on what we will be seeing around us rather than mere predictions.

I also hope that this challenge will lead us towards a world were wealth is spread more equitably, where perhaps we see the poorest people becoming richer, and the richest people being forced to make more sacrifices for the common good. If the current recession has taught us anything, I would hope that it has shown clearly that the rampant pursuit of money for its own sake always brings catastrophe in the long run, and that we need a new way of looking at how we live our lives, considering such issues as whether we are happy, fulfilled and contributing to a better world.

nef was founded in 1986 by the leaders of The OtherEconomic Summits (TOES) which forced issues such asinternational debt onto the agendas of the G7 and G8 summits. Please see http://www.neweconomics.org   for more information about this dynamic organization.