In launching a series of articles investigating the need for systemic reform to promote planetary health equity, researchers Professor Sharon Friel and Chelsea Hunnisett call for “an economy in service of people and the planet”.
Croakey notes that this is a phrase not often heard in #AusPol debate…
Sharon Friel and Chelsea Hunnisett write:
Humanity is at a pivotal moment in our history.
Populism is running rife overseas and is rearing its ugly head in Australia. Every day we are bombarded with news about the deterioration of fundamental life support systems and how climate change continues to worsen.
Australia’s wealth concentration is through the roof – Australia’s billionaires earn an average of $67,000 per hour – and yet the cost of living for most people continues to hurt.
Despite echoes of reform through the recent Economic Reform Roundtable, Productivity Commission Five Pillar’s Inquiry and big announcements on Australia’s legal obligations under the Paris Agreement, there remains little evidence of systems change so desperately needed in policy proposals.
Progressive democratic politics are undoubtably essential to ensure the necessary collective action on social equity, climate change and human wellbeing. But the Australian political and policy discourse remains timid. The recent economic, climate and social policy discussions we mentioned earlier and pronouncements were underwhelming at best, negligent at worst.
This modern dystopian, mal-aligned world is the result of a deeply flawed governance system that is captured by and favours the interests of conversative and economic elites. This system – the consumptogenic system – allows those who have the power to maintain the status quo. And they do.
But what if there is another way?
Governance matters
At the Planetary Health Equity Hothouse, we are focused on understanding the governance conditions that lead to planetary health equity – the equitable enjoyment of good health on a stable Earth system – by challenging the structures and norms of the consumptogenic system.
At the core of the consumptogenic system are institutions, policies, business practices, and social norms that encourage and reward the excessive production and consumption of fossil fuel-based goods and services that are unhealthy and unequally valued and distributed.
This system perpetuates unfettered economic growth and concentrated wealth generation, despite scientific certainty of global warming due to extractive industries. This cycle of extraction, destruction and waste is responsible for planetary health inequity and is embedded in the short termism of business and finance, of policy development and public spending.
Nations around the world are faced with the challenge of the planetary health equity crisis, whether they call it that or not. In Australia, willingness to change from status quo approaches does not come easy, even when faced with increasing complexity.
Over the next six weeks, we will explore with readers of Croakey Health Media how the consumptogenic system is manifesting in contemporary Australian and global policy proposals and government activities.
Focusing on the recent National Climate Risk Assessment, we will examine the flow on effect of the consumptogenic system for people’s daily lives and the lived experience of planetary health equity.
Calling for an economy in service of people and the planet, and climate mitigation policy – including a Nationally Determined Contribution – that includes social and health goals, we will propose whole-of-system approaches to some of the biggest policy challenges we face.
Our aim is to make hope practical, rather than despair convincing.
In our next article in this series, we will focus on the recently released Australian National Climate Risk Assessment and the accompanying National Adaptation Plan.
Author details
Professor Sharon Friel is an ARC Laureate Fellow and Professor of Health Equity. She is Director of the Planetary Health Equity Hothouse, and the Australian Research Centre for Health Equity at the School of Regulation and Global Governance, Australian National University. Her 2019 book “Climate Change and the People’s Health” highlights the importance of addressing the global consumptogenic system.
Chelsea Hunnisett is a Laureate PhD Candidate and Government Relations Specialist at the Planetary Health Equity Hothouse. Chelsea’s research focuses on economic institutions, specifically Australia’s Commonwealth Treasury, and its approach to the wellbeing economy. Chelsea is an experienced policy, advocacy and government relations specialist with expertise in planetary health, wellbeing economics and preventive health policy.
See Croakey’s archive of articles on health inequalities
