Basic income could solve global poverty and stop environmental destruction – Media Summary

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What if if the path to a more prosperous and sustainable future involved providing financial support to everyone? To some this may initially sound provocative, but this idea lies at the heart of recent research that has sparked conversations among economists and environmentalists worldwide. The study, led by Solving-FCB’s Dr. Rashid Sumaila (other contributors from the Solving-FCB Partnership include Dr. Colette Wabnitz, Dr. Louise Teh, Dr. Lydia Teh, Solving-FCB PI Dr. William Cheung, and Dr. Ibrahim Issifu), suggests implementing a universal basic income funded through a carbon tax, specifically targeting carbon emissions.

Dr. Sumaila has been thinking about this for some time. In his interview with TIME in March of 2023, he stated: “I’ve also started thinking about universal basic income in the world. There’s money to do this, it’s just that we’re afraid to tax anybody these days. If we can implement a universal basic income, it will free the world to do what we need to do”. Fast-forward a year, a paper, and this idea is picking up significant traction, and media attention – listed below.

Sumaila, U. R., Wabnitz, C. C. C., Teh, L. S. L., Teh, L. C. L., Lam, V. W. Y., Sumaila, H., Cheung, W. W. L., Issifu, I., Hopewell, K., Cinner, J. E., Bennett, N. J., Folke, C., Gulati, S., & Polasky, S. (2024). Utilizing basic income to create a sustainable, poverty-free tomorrow. In Cell Reports Sustainability (p. 100104). Elsevier BV. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crsus.2024.100104

Media Coverage for this paper