"This short paper aims to provoke fresh thinking and debate about the policies we shall need for the future. It opens up a new programme of work at nef (the new economics foundation) that explores the connections between society, economy and the environment, and draws out their implications for social policy.
Through 60 years of peace and plenty, Britain's welfare system has proved unequal to the task of narrowing inequalities or building a cohesive society. Income and health inequalities are wider than ever; yet unjust and divided societies are ill-equipped to take concerted action. A high degree of social solidarity is needed to tackle the profound economic and environmental crises that confront us all today.
Our central premise is that policy and practice must aim for sustainable social justice. To achieve this, the welfare system must be transformed. The role of Government will remain central, but we need a new social settlement that depends less on the market economy and instead values and nurtures two other economies - the resources of people and the planet. We consider what must be done to ensure that all three economies - people, planet and markets - work together for social justice."

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