Most influential political actors, economists and much of the public consider economic growth as an appropriate solution to social and environmental challenges. However there are lots of signs that public debt is continually growing and socio-economic inequality or environmental problems are here to stay. "The price of growth" is getting higher, if one considers for example the rising temperatures in Germany in the past years. The Wealth Report for Germany (Jahreswohlstandsbericht 2019) is a result of knowledge transfer and seeks to provide a broader picture using indicators that holistically consider societal and environmental well-being, such as biodiversity or income inequality - topics that Roland Zieschank at the FFU has long studied. One key finding is that the status quo is stiffened. That could be tolerated if the sustainability indicators do not fall under a certain level of sustainability criteria.

But the failure of improvement becomes a risk factor, in other words: our "Natural Capital" - an integral part of our societal well-being and prosperity - is being degraded. Our potentials, for instance education, environmental investments and goods are underestimated concerning their contribution to our society. They remain in the status of mediocrity.

The Wealth Report is now in its third year of publication with the purpose of informing and guiding a Parliamentary party in the German Bundestag. The contents are the sole responsability of the authors.

The 2019 report is an important contribution to the debate on whether societal well-being should continue to be measured according to the rate of economic growth. The report underlines the need to move toward a more holistic understanding with innovative examples world-wide.