Bold claim up front: the global economy must stop pandering to the frivolous and destructive demands of the ultra-rich if ordinary people around the world are to thrive. That’s the core message from a prominent UN voice who argues the system should be reordered to serve everyone, not just the wealthy few.
Olivier De Schutter, the UN special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, says politicians have prioritized growth that benefits the rich and powerful—growth that is socially and ecologically damaging and often aimed at expanding profits and consumption for the world’s wealthiest individuals and corporations.
Instead, he calls for a new economic program designed to confront intertwined crises: rising inequality, ecological erosion, and a surge in far-right politics. The goal is to redirect scarce resources toward meeting basic human needs and creating things that generate real social value, rather than fueling the wants of the ultra-wealthy.
De Schutter argues that an economy that spends resources on mansions or luxury cars while neglecting social housing or reliable public transport is inefficient and will fail to meet the needs of low-income populations. This critique comes as coverage in The Guardian’s Beyond Growth series highlights the problems with an unrelenting focus on limitless growth, which critics say accelerates ecological damage and inequality.
He plans to publish a roadmap, titled “Eradicating Poverty Beyond Growth,” in April. This work emerges from a informal coalition on “beyond growth” that includes UN agencies, scholars, civil society groups, and labor unions. The roadmap proposes expanding policy options for governments and development bodies, such as universal basic income, job guarantees, debt relief, and a substantial wealth tax.
Crucially, the roadmap is meant to align with two parallel efforts: a United Nations initiative led by Secretary-General António Guterres to redefine how economic success is measured (moving beyond GDP), and a G20 expert panel led by Joseph Stiglitz examining global inequality.
De Schutter notes that while many UN actors have long accepted the idea of moving beyond a growth-centric narrative, political realities and lingering taboos often prevent bold advocacy at the highest levels. That dynamic could change soon, he suggests, as his roadmap and the accompanying initiatives offer a chance for prominent figures to openly reconsider growth.
He describes this moment as a practical opportunity to shape a post-2030 agenda that balances planetary boundaries with social justice and poverty alleviation, stating, “That’s the challenge and the opportunity.”
As part of this shift, De Schutter is advocating for a permanent UN body dedicated to combating inequality. This new entity would monitor and promote policies that ensure the economy is designed to be redistributive and sustainable from the ground up, rather than chasing destructive growth and then trying to fix the fallout.
He envisions the body operating similarly to the IPCC (the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), which synthesizes evidence and guides international action on climate. The goal would be to collect not only data on what is happening but also evidence on policy tools that can advance wellbeing without growth and reduce dependence on expansionist economics. He notes strong enthusiasm from a broad coalition for this bottom-up, collaborative approach.
Since his 2020 appointment, De Schutter has visited many low-income and developing countries and sees a pattern: such nations are trapped in an economic model that prizes growth that harms people and the environment, often because debt, export priorities, and big buyers in global supply chains drive production away from local needs. He argues that in these contexts, growth is used to service foreign debt rather than to benefit domestic populations, leading to ecological harm, suppressed wages, and stalled investment.
His proposed shift emphasizes growth driven by domestic demand, regional integration, and south–south trade over traditional north–south global supply chains. The aim is to prioritize the needs of local people and lift them out of poverty, rather than catering to the ultra-rich.
For wealthier, developed nations, the April roadmap would explore financing public services and social protections through wealth taxes and taxes on harmful economic activities, rather than relying on broad, indiscriminate growth. The plan distinguishes between recessionary downturns in crises like 2008 or 1929 and a deliberate, democratically managed transition to a different economic model.
De Schutter says the proposals have broad support from leading economists, UN bodies, trade unions, and NGOs. He believes there is a realistic window to present a credible, post-2030 alternative that aligns planetary limits with social justice and poverty reduction. He warns that failure to do so could empower far-right populists.
Would you support a shift toward a redistribution-focused economy that taxes wealth and harmful activities to fund universal social protections, even if it means rethinking long-standing growth norms? Share your thoughts in the comments.
