Michael Green

Michael Green built a way to measure what GDP misses: whether societies are healthy, inclusive and stable. Now he shows leaders and investors where long-term risk and opportunity really lie.

Geopolitics & Global Affairs Global Economy Corporate Sustainability Data & Analytics Geopolitics Climate Change Public Health

Washington DC/ London, UK, United States

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The global goals we've made progress on -- and the ones we haven't | Michael Green

November 2018

Bio

About Michael Green

How do we measure progress and prosperity? Metrics such as gross domestic product track an economy's market value but cannot detect whether a population is happy, restive or on the brink of upheaval. To address that gap, Michael Green worked with Harvard Business School strategist Michael E. Porter to formulate a complementary metric: the Social Progress Index.

Taking into account factors such as the environment, social inclusion and equality, health and education, the index achieves a more holistic picture of a nation's prosperity and stability. As Green demonstrates with examples like the Arab Spring, economic growth and social progress can diverge dramatically: a society can post high GDP growth and still be on the brink of implosion. The index, which has informed coverage in The New York Times, The Economist and Bloomberg, is also a tool for tracking progress toward the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and Green's team publishes an annual report ranking countries across every area of progress.

Topics

Michael's Keynote Topics

There is often an unfortunate assumption that a society’s economic growth must come at the expense of the environment and social equality. To get rich, we have to give up some of our happiness, the argument goes. Michael Green says the facts do not validate this conclusion. Indeed, material prosperity and sustainability, inclusiveness and social justice typically go hand-in-hand, and societies that sacrifice these latter values for GDP growth are fostering long-term instability that will ultimately threaten their wealth and well-being. In this presentation, Green provides an overview of his methodology for measuring real progress in an economy. He further offers tools and solutions for changing one’s perspective about prosperity and implementing an inclusive growth strategy. Ultimately, Green aims to inform the audience on the best ways to ensure inclusive, sustainable economic or business growth in a world that often feels it is hopelessly divided and endangered.

Amid so much uncertainty, banks, financial services firms, venture capitalists, governments and NGOs need more exact measurements for deciding where to invest, both domestically and abroad. Each year, global economist Michael Green and his team at the Social Progress Imperative release their Social Progress Index (SPI) report, which details how industries and countries are faring in every area of progress. Their carefully culled data shows where the most stable and prosperous societies of tomorrow will be and where instability, inequities and environmental degradation will take a toll. Using tools like their “skills map,” which links specific skills to progress, Green shows participants how to use the Index to make decisions around investments, policies and where and what kinds of philanthropic efforts are likely to pay off.

Even before the pandemic, the annual Social Progress Index (SPI) – published by global economist Michael Green and his team at the Social Progress Imperative – helped leaders make more informed decisions around policies, investments, and where they would likely profit in the future. With COVID-19 ushering in a significant new variable, Green’s 2020 SPI report opens up a wider lens on what the future of work and life will look like across the globe and what businesses need to do to sustain and grow while preserving necessary resources. In this presentation, Green highlights the revised view of the future and shows organizations how they can best shift in response to the new economy.

Research & Writing