13 November 2021

A sustainable, inclusive, and growing future for the United States

Asutosh Padhi, James Manyika, Anu Madgavkar, and Eric Chewning

As the United States looks beyond the COVID-19 crisis, it has an opportunity to create the conditions for an economy that grows robustly—and at the same time, grows in an inclusive and sustainable way. The benefits of an economy that delivers broad-based prosperity; advances many more people in more places, leaving fewer behind; and protects the environment for this generation and the next are manifold.

Achieving this ambitious goal will be difficult. As our McKinsey colleagues have outlined, creating the conditions for an economy that is growing and sustainable and inclusive is particularly challenging. While the three elements of sustainability, inclusion, and growth together can create a powerful and self-reinforcing dynamic, they can also counteract one another in challenging ways (Exhibit 1). Even if they are not seen as trade-offs or in conflict with one other, the goals may be viewed by some as ideals to be pursued in sequence, with little agreement on what that right sequence should be.

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