Greening the Economy Should Not Disregard Human Dignity

(March 09, 2011) Programs and policies for pursuing the goal of a “green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication” should not forget that the purpose of development is integral human development and that “human beings are and must remain at the centre of our concern”. On behalf of the Holy See Delegation to the Second Preparatory Committee for the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD), Professor Charles Clark, Professor of Economics at St. John's University, addressed the United Nations General Assembly at New York Tuesday afternoon. Urging delegates not to forget the fundamental principles in theoretical debate about sustainable development and green economy, the Holy See statement repeated Pope Benedict XVI’s call for integral human development which recognizes “that economic growth, whether it is driven by markets or driven by States, will not necessarily promote the kind of development that is worthy of humans”. Professor Clark explained that “on the one hand we are told that self-interest and greed are the sole drivers of human behaviour, and that free markets are all that is needed to turn private vice into public virtue. On the other hand we are told that human nature is what society makes it, giving us a development strategy that centres on structures and institutions, with the hope that the right institutions will be enough to promote development. Each view has part of the truth: humans often are driven by self-interest and social institutions do greatly shape human attitudes and actions, markets and government policy both have potential to promote the common good. But humanity cannot be reduced to either selfish egos or social constructs.” He also insisted that “promoting economic development should not be at the expense of the poor and marginalized or of future generations” and that “the economy needs objective moral formation in order to function correctly”.