Endorsements & Press
In May 2019, my book “Replacing GDP by 2030: Towards a common language for the Well-being and Sustainability Community” was published by Cambridge University Press. The book is available from Cambridge University Press, Hive, Amazon and Bol. The book has been covered in the press and has received various endorsements which are listed below.
Endorsements (English)
‘This book shows why a ‘beyond-GDP world’ is needed and how it can be built. A must-read contribution to the move towards a sustainable future.’ Enrico Giovannini, Università degli Studi di Roma Tor Vergata and former Minister of Labour and Social Policies in the Italian government
‘This is a powerful and timely contribution to the debate about how to move beyond GDP – and what to use instead – in seeking to understand the economy and bring about improvements in people’s lives. There is no question that the conventional economic statistics have outlived their use; they obscure rather than enlighten. The importance of this book is in its thoughtful and detailed proposals for change.’ Diane Coyle, Bennett Professor of Public Policy, University of Cambridge and author of GDP: A Brief but Affectionate History
‘There are many publications criticising, for the right or for the wrong reasons, GDP and national accounts. But hardly anyone comes up with a valid way-out. Rutger Hoekstra not only puts forward a well thought-out alternative, but also provides a strategy for replacing the hegemony of GDP. Will it work?’ Peter van de Ven, Head of National Accounts, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
‘The beyond-GDP discussion has been raging on for decades, and progress has been slow. Drawing upon years of experience as a high-level international statistician, Rutger Hoekstra offers an original and highly informed view from the trenches on the why and how. His innovative and ambitious proposal for a way out deserves to be widely read and discussed.’ Marcel Timmer, Director of the Groningen Growth and Development Centre (GGDC), Rijksuniversiteit Groningen
‘I therefore cannot recommend highly enough environmental economist Rutger Hoekstra’s book Replacing GDP by 2030. In my view it is the most interesting and thoroughly evidence based approach to taking the debate on replacing GDP forward. It should be required reading for every economic minister and spokesperson as well as every research body in Scotland.’ Roger Mullin, Former Member of Parliament for the Scottish National Party and Founding Director of Momentous Change Ltd.
‘In crisp prose, Rutger Hoekstra conveys an important message. We won’t convince policy makers to look beyond GDP simply by multiplying the production of well-being indicators. Something more is clearly needed.’ Marco Mira d’Ercole, Head of Household Statistics, OECD
‘This book by environmental economist Hoekstra does not only offer a good read and an excellent introduction to the big debate about GDP and beyond GDP. It also provides a clear strategy to make beyond-GDP much more effective and to learn from the success of GDP as an indicator and language.’ Frits Bos, CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economics Policy Analysis and author of The National Accounts as a Tool for Analysis and Policy: in View of History, Economic Theory and Data Compilation Issues.
Recensies (Nederlands)
‘….voor iedereen die zich actief met de discussie wil bemoeien, en die samen met Hoekstra de strijd aan wil gaan voor een betere indicator, is er geen beter handboek op de markt.’ Mathijs Bouman, Macro-econoom en journalist
‘Het is een uitstekend gedocumenteerd en goed geschreven boek dat zowel economen als geïnteresseerde leken zal weten te boeien – de diepgang en reikwijdte staan toegankelijkheid voor een breed publiek niet in de weg. Bovendien is Hoekstra’s ‘road map’ overtuigend: een systeem van betere, mondiaal toepasbare maten voor welvaart en welzijn ligt binnen handbereik. Niet voor niets omarmt een groeiende schare economen en statistici zijn boek.’ Evert Nieuwenhuis, Journalist, Vrij Nederland (link)
Newspapers/Magazines (English)
The National (June 25th 2019). Roger Mullin: This is why we need to rethink Scotland’s GDP focus.
The National (June 25th 2019) Former SNP MP Roger Mullin pushes search for a measure to replace GDP.
NWO Magazine (February 6th 2020). If we remain scattered we will never have any power. Keynote speech at the NWO Synergism 2020 Conference.
Kranten/Tijdschiften (Nederlands)
NRC (Dutch) (May 10th 2019). Afzien van economische groei, kunnen we dat wel?
Financieel Dagblad (Dutch) (July 6th 2019). Weg met het bbp, op zoek naar een betere graadmeter. Review of the book by Mathijs Bouman
Vrij Nederland (Dutch) (October 2nd 2019). Het bbp is het machtigste cijfer ter wereld, maar bijna niemand weet wat het echt betekent. Interview.
Blogs (English)
A polity proposal for Beyond-GDP. Guest blog for the Centre for the Understanding of Sustainable Prosperity (CUSP) (October 10th 2019)
What will it take to move beyond GDP? Guestblog on WEFLIVE (January 19th 2019)
Blogs (Nederlands)
Hoe vervang je het bbp? Nieuwsbrief Milieu & Economie (October 10th 2019)
Podcasts (English)
Rutger Hoekstra puts GDP in context Jive Talking podcast by David Zetland (1 uur 12 minutes) (2019)
Podcasts (Dutch)
Hoe vervangen we het BBP? (Uit de Ivoren Toren Podcast met Fenna Plaisier) (21 minuten) (2020)
Moet de economie blijven groeien: het gevecht (Poen podcast van de NOS) (30 minuten) (2020)
Het BBP als les om welzijn te meten (Ecosofie podcast van Marnix Kluiters) (1 uur 12 minuten) (2020)
Webinars (English
Replacing GDP by 2030. Webinar for the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (Geneva). (2020)
Radio (Dutch)
BNR Green Quest (Interview met Harm Edens op BNR ) (2019) (10 minuten) (video)
Het BBP is voortaan passé (Sleutelstad FM Science071) (10 minuten) (2020)