Sustainability after COVID-19: pillars for a just transition

The vulnerability of the global economy has been starkly exposed by COVID-19 pandemic. Longer term thinking and new approaches to development prosperity are urgently required. In this paper, we forward a series principles on which economic policy for post-COVID era should be developed. These outlined as five ‘pillars’ from rebuild economy, based shared sustainable prosperity. pillars are: (I) an ecological prosperity; (II) decarbonized economy; (III) cost burden; (IV) governance deal; (V) just resilience. outlining ‘5 pillars’ explicitly recognize that sustainability cannot simply ‘green’, or environmental concern. Social dimensions key societal stability continuity. This is made ever starker in context fundamental restructuring forced disruption regard, represent triple bottom line framing sustainability, mutually supportive domains economic, social well-being. informed distributive procedural justice, recognizing importance advantages real community engagement empowerment giving due respect deference carrying capacity our fragile planet. We argue post-COVID-19 re-build represents once-in-a generation opportunity markedly shift developed trajectories more pathways, rebalance process, address longer-term crises including those climate biodiversity loss.