(From Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan)

The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on October 31, 2011 the input from the national government to the Rio+20 "Outcome Document." One point was a proposal to include indices of well-being or happiness for measuring affluence other than gross domestic product (GDP).

The Rio+20 conference will be held in 2012, in commemoration of the twentieth anniversary of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD), held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992. Heads of state and other high-level participants are expected to attend and discuss two main themes: (a) the green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication, and (b) institutional frameworks for sustainable development.

Japan's proposal states that, "In order to achieve sustainable development, environmental, social and economic sustainability need to be considered." It also suggests that the affluence of nations should be measured not just by GDP but also by alternative new indicators such as indices of well-being.