B-Economy

Let it b!

Because there is no Planet B, the B-Economy initiative aims to create a space for dialogue and action to transform our dominant economic system and our dominant value system so that we can live in harmony with nature.

This project is an invitation to stakeholders around the world to implement solutions to the underlying causes of nature’s decline and to work together to lay the foundations for a “B” system, based on proposed guiding values and principles.

Reciprocity
Respect
Mutual aid
Connection
Community
Generosity
Humility

Guiding values

An economic model that:

serves people, nature, society, not the other way around
does not depend on continuous growth
respects social foundations and ecological ceiling
values being over having
can coexist with the current model for a realistic transition
respects the diverse values within the territories of life
is built by including the perspectives of all sectors of society and governments
has an inclusive governance structure that is based on respect and power balance equity

Proposed guiding principles

Do you want to B a part of it?

Let’s build the B-Economy, an alternative model that integrates the economy within a value system that is compatible with living in harmony with nature

  
      Working axes
      Value to abandon
      
          Value to adopt
        
      Living within planetary boundaries
      
          Unlimited abundance
          →
          Sufficiency
        
      Giving Earth back to the living and to communities
      
          Speculative property
          →
          Stewardship
        
      Promoting equitable and ecologically-sound exchanges between peoples
      
          Overexploitation
          →
          Reciprocity
        
      Sharing of wealth
      
          Accumulation
          →
          Sharing
        
      Financing the common good
      
          Economic growth
          →
          Stability
        
      Reinventing money
      
          Yields
          →
          Social and ecological utility
        
      Regaining control of the economy
      
          Opacity
          →
          Transparency
        
      Rethinking economic relations
      
          Competition
          →
          Cooperation
        
      Different approaches to working and entrepreneurship
      
          Performance
          →
          Robustess
        
      Freeing our desires from overconsumption
      
          Having more
          →
          Living better

Working axes	Value to abandon	Value to adopt
Living within planetary boundaries	Unlimited abundance → Sufficiency
Giving Earth back to the living and to communities	Speculative property → Stewardship
Promoting equitable and ecologically-sound exchanges between peoples	Overexploitation → Reciprocity
Sharing of wealth	Accumulation → Sharing
Financing the common good	Economic growth → Stability
Reinventing money	Yields → Social and ecological utility
Regaining control of the economy	Opacity → Transparency
Rethinking economic relations	Competition → Cooperation
Different approaches to working and entrepreneurship	Performance → Robustess
Freeing our desires from overconsumption	Having more → Living better

Resources

B-Economy presentation →

Are you working on the underlying causes of biodiversity loss?

Don't hesitate to share your initiatives, thoughts, and research with us.