CUSP The Centre for the Understanding of Sustainable Prosperity is an ESRC research centre, directed by Prof Tim Jackson.

What can prosperity possibly mean in a world of environmental, social and economic limits?—We work with people, policy and business to address this question, developing pragmatic steps towards an inclusive and sustainable prosperity | Our guiding vision for sustainable prosperity is one in which people everywhere have the capability to flourish as human beings—within the ecological and

resource constraints of a finite planet. Our work explores not just the economic aspects of this challenge, but also its social, political and philosophical dimensions. We address the implications of sustainable prosperity at the level of households and firms; and we explore sector-level and macro-economic implications of different pathways to prosperity. We are paying particular attention to the pragmatic steps that need to be taken by enterprise, government and civil society in order to achieve a sustainable prosperity

Late capitalism's dangerous endgame has a body count.⁠The mantra of growth is failing us. Not because we haven't tried h...
13/04/2026

Late capitalism's dangerous endgame has a body count.

The mantra of growth is failing us. Not because we haven't tried hard enough. But because it's built on broken promises.⁠

In his blog for , CUSP co-director points to another economics that views prosperity as health + economy as care.

⭕ Full article → https://iai.tv/articles/our-economic-system-is-designed-to-make-us-unhappy-auid-3543?_auid=2020

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Growth-at-all-costs capitalism runs on disappointment

Health systems aren't failing. They're being asked to do the impossible. We built an economy for wealth, then asked heal...
31/03/2026

Health systems aren't failing. They're being asked to do the impossible. We built an economy for wealth, then asked healthcare to clean up the mess. What if prosperity = health?New paper by Tim Jackson for EnlightenScot's initiative

https://cusp.ac.uk/themes/health/wp45

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🗓️ Waterstones Gower Street will host an evening with CUSP co-director Tim Jackson, in conversation with Jen Morgan of t...
04/03/2026

🗓️ Waterstones Gower Street will host an evening with CUSP co-director Tim Jackson, in conversation with Jen Morgan of the NHS Confederation's Q project, to discuss Tim's latest book, | London, 18 Mar, 6.30pm.

⭕️ This event will explore themes from the book, including the gender politics of care, the commodification of health, and the structural roots of social and ecological neglect. At a time of mounting geopolitical unrest and fragile public systems, Jackson argues for care as a political and moral imperative—not an afterthought. Join a discussion exploring how we can rebuild society around principles of care rather than conquest.

🎟️ Tickets via https://www.waterstones.com/events/the-care-economy-an-evening-with-tim-jackson-in-conversation-with-jen-morgan/london-gower-street

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02/03/2026

If we wouldn’t measure our health using just one indicator, why do we measure economic success that way?— Tim Jackson on BBC Sunday Morning Live

▶️ Full clip via http://cusp.ac.uk/media (🔝or follow link in bio).


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Does economic growth harm the planet? | BBC Sunday Morning Live debate with Tim Jackson, Daze Aghaji and Andy Mayer ➡️ h...
02/03/2026

Does economic growth harm the planet? | BBC Sunday Morning Live debate with Tim Jackson, Daze Aghaji and Andy Mayer
➡️ https://cusp.ac.uk/themes/aetw/tj-bbcsml-03-26/

CUSP Director Tim Jackson joined a live debate on BBC Sunday Morning Live to discuss the question: does economic growth harm the planet? The segment followed renewed international calls to move beyond GDP as the primary measure of progress, including recent comments from António Guterres on the need to value environmental sustainability and human wellbeing alongside economic performance.


cc // WEAll - Wellbeing Economy Alliance

24/02/2026

Our latest collection of book reviews explores artificial intelligence, South Africa’s prisons, seafarers, care, ageing and feminist walking. Read The Sociological Review magazine’s February issue.

https://buff.ly/sP7uSiV

“Economic growth has a near mythical status in the affections of economists and politicians. But wishful thinking won’t ...
10/02/2026

“Economic growth has a near mythical status in the affections of economists and politicians. But wishful thinking won’t solve the climate crisis [...] Post-growth economics offers us more choice, more realism and more insight into the possibilities for human prosperity. It’s not about returning to the cave but about breaking free from our intellectual prisons.” — Tim Jackson
➡️ https://www.theguardian.com/environment/ng-interactive/2026/feb/09/economic-growth-carbon-emissions-impact-global-heating

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Rising GDP continues to mean more carbon emissions and wider damage to the planet. Can the two be decoupled?

08/01/2026

🎧 Just re-released by Penguin Random House: my 30-part ‘environmental thriller’ Cry of the Bittern was originally broadcast as a 30 part serial on BBC Radio 4 and is now available on all major audio streaming platforms. Happy new listening!

➡️ https://timjackson.org.uk/cry-of-the-bittern-penguin/

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Climate breakdown should be understood as a profound abdication of  , argues CUSP co-Director Tim Jackson in his opinion...
08/01/2026

Climate breakdown should be understood as a profound abdication of , argues CUSP co-Director Tim Jackson in his opinion piece commissioned for the British Medical Journal‘s (BMJ’s) new year special issue on climate change. Addressing that failure will take more than clever technology or incremental policy reform, argues Jackson. It must start by reimagining the purpose of the economy and the direction of societal progress. → https://cusp.ac.uk/themes/aetw/tj-bmj2026/

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University Of Surrey
Guildford
GU27XH

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