Unemployment. Inflation. Protectionism. Economic bubble. Debt. Fiscal deficit. These are not just terms in an economics textbook; these are real-life challenges that are dominating the media and that carry major societal implications. We are more interconnected and interdependent than ever before in history, and in the 21st century, the thoughtful study of macroeconomics needs to consider another crucial factor: sustainable development.

Traditionally considered externalities or by-products of the global economic engine, environmental degradation and the erosion of social capital have a drastic and direct effect on the capacity of the planet to thrive economically. Macroeconomics for a Sustainable Planet is an exploration of traditional macroeconomic principles and tools updated for the age of sustainable development and the current wave of globalization. The course is led by two leading economic minds, Professor Jeffrey Sachs, Quetelet Professor of Sustainable Development and Economics at Columbia University and senior UN advisor, and Professor Felipe Larraín, former Minister of Finance of Chile and Professor of Economics at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.

Over the course of 13 weeks, Professors Sachs and Larraín will explore the different macroeconomic “pathologies” at play in the modern day global economy, drawing from the lessons and experiences of the past and incorporating the significant biophysical pressures facing the planet today. Is a thriving global economy possible in an equitable and environmentally thoughtful way? Join us as we delve into the new macroeconomic toolkit that is needed to answer that question.