it’s possible for global South countries to achieve strong outcomes on every human development indicator (including life expectancy, well-being, sanitation, income, education, electricity, employment and democracy) while remaining within or near planetary boundaries. Here again, Costa Rica – which I described above – provides an excellent example of what this might look like.32 But this requires an entirely different way of thinking about development. Instead of pursuing growth for its own sake and hoping that it will magically improve people’s lives, the goal must be to focus on improving
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