Economy for the Common Good Belgium
Civic & Social Organization - Brussels, Brussels, Belgium
Economy for the Common Good Belgium Employees
Economy for the Common Good Belgium Details
Our current economic system measures success based on financial indicators like the Gross Domestic Product or the Profit & Loss statement of an organisation. Why isn't success evaluated on fulfilment of the basic needs, provisioning of purpose in the work environment, the attribution to a higher quality of life or the protection of our ecosystem?If we want our economy to serve the common good of our society, we should find a way to report how much an organisation attributes to that common good. Right now we only report on the means (money) and not on the target (wellbeing).We propose to generate a Common Good Balance for organisations, similar to the financial balance sheet an organisation has to create each year. That Common Good Balance sheet would clarify how ecological, social, just and democratic an organisation is.A high score on the Common Good Balance can then be bound to some advantages to reward those companies. This could be lower taxes, easier access to funding and advantages in government contracts. The result on the balance of every organisation is freely accessible to the public and as such consumers know whom they support with their purchases. Co-operation with other organisations that have good Balance scores, will improve their own scores. This built-in positive feedback mechanism renders an ethical organisation more competitive than organisations with a low score on their Common Good Balance sheet. That way the economy automatically changes course to a more ethical destination.
