Indicateurs alternatifs au PIB : Au-delà des nombres

l’Épargne nette ajustée en question

Abstract

After sixty years of predominance in the western countries, both the objective of economic growth and its core measure, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), have been questioned. Numerous alternative indicators have been suggested. These new indicators potentially constitute a great opportunity for change: what we measure affects what we do. We go a step further, claiming that the way we measure it is just as crucial: indicators intrinsically carry axiological and normative conceptions, embedded in the specific way they are built. As indicators are increasingly being used for shaping political ends, light should be shed on these underlying conceptions. Our analysis of the Adjusted Net Savings (ANS, the sustainability indicator of the World Bank) attempts to illustrate these normative underpinnings, often obscured by technical concerns: we show that the ANS carries a singular conception of ‘sustainability’ (in its human and ecological aspects).