Endangered white-tailed black cockatoos over Nannup, WA. Photo by Dave Webb
Focus of this post
In the last post, having defined what a regenerative economy is, I explored how we might move toward such an economy, covering the sorts of transformations that would be necessary to our global financial architecture.
In this post I tackle the question of how we can work toward normalising planetary health considerations in society, and by implication, how we can each become co-creators of planetary health.
The content of this post will give you much to think about. I’ve purposefully introduced a few questions for reflection in various places throughout the post. I invite you to take the time in the moment to internally respond in any way that feels appropriate to you.
To what do we give our attention?
We tend to give attention to what we consider is important and dear to us. To respond to the enormity of the types of challenges confronting us today, particularly those of an ecological and societal nature, we need to rethink the importance that we attribute to planetary health.
By rethink, what I actually mean is that we need to position planetary health as a superordinate goal on all our economic, societal and political agendas, and yes, I do dare say it, superordinate even to GDP. What’s wrong with GDP? Well, this is a topic that we’ve covered elsewhere, but let’s review again with an analogy.
How is GDP related to soccer?
I’m often reminded of the analogy shared by Sir Partha Dasgupta (2025), in which he sees the non-consideration of the destruction of planet earth in the calculation of GDP, as a fatal flaw in modern economic accounting. He likens it to a soccer team assessing its performance in a game solely by the number of goals they score, completely disregarding the number of goals they concede. In this analogy, the goals scored represent economic output and GDP growth etc. The goals conceded represent the loss of biodiversity and the depletion of natural capital etc. Scoring a goal doesn’t mean the team is winning the game, and obviously not if the number of goals conceded is greater than the number of goals scored!
In planetary health terms, recall that we have already surpassed 7 of the 9 planetary boundaries. The ecological boundaries that represent a safe and just operating space for humanity on earth. Clearly, extending the analogy, we’re not winning the game. As with the analogy, GDP is not a complete and valid measure of success.
Broadening planetary health metrics
Our understanding of planetary health needs to consider a much broader more inclusive set of metrics. This is a starting point for positive transformation. In this respect, I’m personally energised by the commitment demonstrated by several smaller nations toward creating a regenerative future in their national policy agendas.
The Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015
In 2015, Wales (a member country of the United Kingdom), passed into law the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act, setting itself a clear path for a more sustainable future, one that necessitates the integrated consideration of the rights of future generations alongside the current generation, in all actions and decisions affecting the country (Davidson 2020).
Wales, however isn’t alone, and forming the basis of a Wellbeing Economy Government partnership (WEGo), is a collaboration of national and regional governments committing to planetary health through the sharing of expertise and policy practices supporting the development of Wellbeing Economies. Current members include Wales, New Zealand, Scotland, Iceland and Finland, with Canada also participating.
Planetary health
Note to new readers: If you are picking up on the topic of planetary health here for the first time, please visit my other related posts where I discuss the concept in greater detail. As a foundation though, to help you make sense of what follows, planetary health is defined as:
The health of human civilisations and the natural systems on which they depend (Whitmee et al., 2015).
Elaborating, it includes:
Achieving the highest attainable standard of health, wellbeing, and equity worldwide through judicious attention to the human systems—political, economic, and social—that shape the future of humanity and the Earth’s natural systems that define the safe environmental limits within which humanity can flourish (Whitmee et al., 2015).
Extending further on the above definitions, which some might argue are conceptually anthropocentric, viewing planetary health in ecosystems terms, we need to recognise the contributions of all life forms – and not just humanity – to the health of the wider planetary ecosystem. I acknowledge that while it isn’t overt in the above definition, it is implicit in the mention of ‘natural systems’.
Thus, and perhaps grossly simplifying things, planetary health is about life within a massive global system of systems – a system comprising a multiplicity of embedded interconnecting systems – with each adding value to what we might refer to as the overall mother system. If it helps you make better sense of things, you can consider planet Earth as the mother system.
In summary, planetary health – a state of flourishing – occurs when all interconnected systems and their constituent elements, not only positively contribute to planetary health, but do so to their fullest potential.
Ecosystem thinking
It’s probably worth saying something here at this point about the contribution of system elements to ecosystems. The flourishing state of an ecosystem is dependent on the mutualistic and sometimes symbiotic contribution – i.e., value adding contribution – of both abiotic (non-living) and biotic (living) system elements. Indeed, the loss of the contribution of a single system element can potentially mean systems collapse.
Clearly, humanity’s impact over time on the wider ecosystem has been profound. At times we might describe this impact using the term ‘negative’, and at other times we might use the term ‘positive’. Without entering a debate here about the ethical appropriateness of the selection and use of these terms, it is evident that alongside acting as super predator, (negative) habitat modifier and (negative) driver of change, humanity has also autonomously taken on the more positive and purposeful roles – from a planetary health perspective – of ecosystem regulator and healer.
Considering our current dire position in terms of where we stand in respect to the planetary boundaries, and viewing the health of the planet through the lens of identifying what is required to maintain a just and safe operating space for humanity, it is to supporting the latter behaviours that we should focus our attention. I would go so far as to say that our healing/restorative behaviours, furthermore need to be guided by a conscious intention of regeneration.
Humanity’s ultimate purpose
My point here in mentioning the above, is to highlight the importance of planetary health to humanity. We simply can’t live without it. If the overall health of the system – Mother Earth – is under stress, as indeed it is when we again consider the current position in respect to the planetary boundaries, it is we humans (current and future generations), among other species of course, who will face the consequences of our actions.
Realisitically……..
Can there be any more important purpose for humanity than to live in service to planetary health?
Indeed…
Shouldn’t all our actions in some way be positively aligned in service to planetary health?
I know, these are just words on a page, but seriously, and thinking broadly…..what can be more important than planetary health?
Ecological contradiction
Instead, and on the evidence of the time and energy that we commit to ensuring the continuity of degenerative systems that are extractive and depletive, whether for personal gain or otherwise, and, to maintain a growth-at-all-cost economy, our implied purpose appears to represent the 180 degree polar opposite!
How about GDP? The volume of goods and services that we’re consuming at the cost of finite resource depletion and planetary health? Is this more important?
Why do we behave as a species in contradiction to the inherent biological tendency of most other species – which is toward ensuring longevity and wellbeing?
How do we account for this?
Humanity as co-creators of planetary health
Let me return now to a more positive footing with the hypothetical question that I posed in an earlier post, in support of working toward a regenerative future.
“What if we were to consider ourselves as co-creators of planetary health rather than as consumers of finite planetary resources? Would our preoccupation with consumption change? Would we shift from a degenerative to a regenerative mindset?
On the assumption that you too came up with a ‘yes’ response to the above two questions, I now add a further question for your reflection…..
What’s holding us back?
Yes, OK, I agree, that’s a big question that we’ll have to revisit another day!
Summary
Before I close this post, let’s collectively recap…..
- First, normalising our role as co-creators of planetary health requires a very different mindset, values prioritisation, set of beliefs and attitudes, and moreover, behaviours grounded not in the degenerative one-sided view that erroneously measures wellbeing by the number of goals scored without considering the number of goals conceded, but rather, in recognising that there can be no more meaningful purpose for humanity than to work in the service of planetary health.
- Second, rather than perpetuate the distorted view that has us believe that we are not only separate from but superordinate to nature, one another and all other species, and that somehow we can control all of this, we need to be open to seeing ourselves legitimately embedded in and dependent upon a flourishing planetary health system.
So far so good. But what about the practical question Dave, I hear you ask.
Are we up for the challenge?
Or, does the logic of regenerative action remain hidden, a mere ghostly covert possibility veiled in fear. Fear and inaction, that has us continually grasp on to failing paradigms in the false hope that somehow….she’ll be right!1
I suggest that the answer to these reside at the individual as well as collective levels.
You know now how much I love to pose questions….and so not to disappoint, one last question……
Isn’t it about time that we grew up as a species, became the adults in the room, and exercised our role in the wider ecosystem as active purposeful co-creators of planetary health?
Future post
In the next post I shift to a new-to-this-blog regenerative topic. It represents one that as a keen gardener, landscape designer, permaculture practitioner and planetary health co-creator, I am very interested in. What are regenerative cities and living spaces, and how can we create more of them?
Some down-to-earth practical examples. I hope you’ll join me. Please consider subscribing if you haven’t already. Thank you.
References
Dasgupta, P. (2025). On Natural Capital: The Value of the World Around Us. Random House.
Davidson, J. (2020). # futuregen: Lessons from a Small Country. Chelsea Green Publishing.
Whitmee, S.; Haines, A.; Beyrer, C.; Boltz, F.; Capon, A.G.; de Souza Dias, B.F.; Ezeh, A.; Frumkin, H.; Gong, P.; Head, P.; et al. Safeguarding human health in the Anthropocene epoch: Report of The Rockefeller Foundation-Lancet Commission on planetary health. Lancet 2015, 386, 1973–2028.
Footnotes
- For my non-Australian readers, in Australian colloquial language, ‘she’ll be right’ means, everything will be OK. ↩︎
