As we approach the end of the year, it’s a fitting moment to reflect on the latest developments in the beyond-GDP debate and the MERGE project. The discussion has intensified around how we define prosperity, what we should measure, and what societies ought to be competing for. For MERGE, the year began with a letter to the European Commission and President Ursula von der Leyen, calling for a competitiveness agenda rooted in sustainable and inclusive wellbeing.
In this post, we explore why alternatives to GDP are more urgent than ever, highlight advances made at the science–policy interface in the MERGE project, and look ahead to 2026 — MERGE’s final year.
Why we need to agree on an alternative to GDP now
Nature Magazine’s recent editorial identifies where consensus already exists on moving beyond GDP and outlines paths forward. Despite decades of attempts to reform economic measurement, fragmented indicator sets and institutional caution continue to keep GDP in a dominant position. Yet, in a recent article written by researchers from MERGE and sibling projects WISE Horizons and MAPS (Models, Assessment, and Policies for Sustainability) (Building consensus on societal wellbeing: a semantic synthesis of indicators to move beyond GDP ),they show where the common ground lies and point to four directions worth pursuing:
(1) adopting sustainable and inclusive wellbeing as the guiding purpose of policymaking, (2) agreeing on a shared set of wellbeing indicators to (3) strengthening dynamic, nonlinear models and, (4) confronting structural ‘addictions’ that keep growth-driven systems locked in place.
Where are we at? Global signals
A recurring question is: How are we progressing towards an agreement on wellbeing indicators and their implementation in policymaking? Progress requires alignment both globally and regionally.
The United Nations recognises the need to look beyond GDP to build “an economic system that gives value to what counts – human well-being – now and in the future, and for everyone” and acknowledges that the political status quo is no longer viable. This November, in Doha, during the United Nations Second World Summit for Social Development, the UN High-Level Expert Group on Beyond GDP published its first interim report, outlining core priorities:
1) An integrated framework for progress: placing wellbeing, equity, inclusion, and sustainability at the centre
2) Measuring what matters: building consensus on wellbeing concepts and indicators, including domains such as material wellbeing, health, education, environmental sustainability, subjective wellbeing, social capital, and governance
3) A pathway to global adoption: enabling policy uptake through intergovernmental negotiations
The Doha World Summit for Social Development provided a valuable opportunity to align perspectives and priorities at the global level. It also enabled MERGE partners to engage across multiple events, discussions, and gatherings focused on beyond-GDP topics, sharing insights from new research, strengthening global alignment, and building momentum around the agenda (see one event recap and recording here). Additional important windows of opportunity for global and regional cooperation include the Beyond GDP Global Alliance and the upcoming roadmap for eradicating poverty beyond growth.
At the European level, the sustainable and inclusive wellbeing agenda features in the EU’s strategic foresight report. MERGE and our sibling projects have contributed significantly to synthesising insights and creating knowledge around sustainable and inclusive wellbeing at EU-level. A major step forward this year was the Joint Research Centre’s multidimensional wellbeing dashboard, which integrates existing tools into a holistic view of the wellbeing of people and planet. Further steps are ongoing for a beyond-EU extension, similarly to the monetary comparison based on income, life expectancy, and the inequality in these two aspects.
Where are we at? MERGE insights
The project’s work has shown that many policy instruments already exist to support sustainable and inclusive wellbeing. What is needed now is consolidation and political momentum.
MERGE’s work has also advanced understanding of economic modelling and its role in capturing sustainability challenges. Read insights on how existing models capture and represent core sustainability challenges through multiple methodological lenses.
Within the project, we have worked closely at the science–policy interface to connect academic perspectives with policymaking. This year, we hosted policy deep dives with EU policymakers on how sustainable and inclusive wellbeing indicators could be integrated into governance, exploring specific policy files and initiatives such as the Multiannual Financial Framework, competitiveness, and the European Semester. Read our blog on how to measure what matters for the EU Budget.
Across these discussions, a clear message emerged: policymakers need usable. concrete tools. Moving from abstraction to implementation, from data to dashboards, from materials to guidance is essential for wellbeing metrics to become politically actionable. This requires integrated approaches that break silos between ecological, social, and economic agendas.
In addition to policymakers, MERGE has also engaged in a dialogue with civil society actors throughout the year. Read our blog, which captures how civil society envisions a sustainable and inclusive future.
You can now watch one of our science-policy dialogues online: “Towards a Prosperous Europe – Shaping Policies for Sustainable and Inclusive Wellbeing.” The full recording is available on our YouTube channel.
Looking ahead: MERGE’s final year
The European Commission’s 2026 Work Programme places sustainable prosperity and competitiveness at the forefront. As MERGE enters its final year, we continue to ensure the EU’s political priorities are grounded in the wellbeing of current and future generations.
The competitiveness approach should be rooted in sustainable prosperity and a shared understanding of what that means. Thinking about competitiveness as a solely GDP focused action can be misleading, especially when our societies are transforming so that more countries use their resources on measures that are not captured by GDP (such as domestic production, healt outcomes, inequalities, state of the environment and climate). A sustainable and inclusive wellbeing framework can bridge this gap to complement GDP. Read more analysis on the EU developments and sustainable and inclusive wellbeing here. For instance, when the Commission aims to simplify regulations under its Better Regulation objective, we must ensure that impact assessment processes remain robust and that deregulation does not come at the cost of sustainability objectives or disproportionate emphasis on competitiveness. As the European Environmental Bureau put it in response to the new programme: “Europe cannot deregulate its way out of crisis.”
The Commission will also launch its intergenerational fairness strategy in early 2026. Within MERGE and beyond, we must keep advocating for the interests of future generations, which is also a fundamental aspect of sustainable and inclusive wellbeing. This has to be embedded across all decision-making processes.
MERGE is closely engaged in EU-level developments while also actively participating in United Nations processes, with the aim of bridging discussions between regional and global arenas and aligning shared goals.
As Simon Kuznets, the main architect of GDP, famously said:
“The welfare of a nation can scarcely be inferred from a measurement of national income as defined by GDP… Goals for ‘more’ growth should specify of what and for what.”
Join us for a series of Online Policy labs next spring
If you’re interested in helping shape the final year of the project and guiding our work towards concrete policy guidelines and recommendations, we invite you to take part in a series of six Policy Labs in spring 2026.
The first lab will focus on socially responsible and gender-sensitive public procurement and will take place on 20 January 2026, 9:30–12:30 CET.
The event is open to all experts working on, or interested in, public procurement. Find more details and the link to registration here.
Highlights from sibling projects
Placing Sustainable and Inclusive Wellbeing at the Heart of the Economy: From Research to Transformative Policy
Final Conference of the ToBe & SPES Projects
14 January, 2026 @ 09:00 – 15 January, 2026 @ 12:00
Europe stands at a crossroads: economic competitiveness and security dominate today’s policy debates, while environmental sustainability and social wellbeing risk being sidelined. Yet these dimensions are essential for addressing climate change, ensuring long-term stability, and creating resilient, thriving societies. Against this backdrop, the Horizon Europe projects ToBe and SPES join forces in a final high-level conference to present their research findings and discuss concrete pathways for reorienting Europe’s economy towards sustainable and inclusive wellbeing.
Sustaining climate action: Towards synergy politics for durable political support. SPES (Sustainability performances, evidence & scenarios) Policy brief
Social Services and policies as key assets for the EU future. SWINS (Sustainable Well-Being Through INvestment in Social Services) Policy brief.
Bridging the Feasibility Gap in Energy Transitions: Policy Insights from Multi-Country Stakeholder Consultations. SPES Policy Brief.
“The welfare of a nation can scarcely be inferred from a measurement of national income as defined by GDP…goals for ‘more’ growth should specify of what and for what.” Simon Kuznets
