Robert Costanza and colleagues suggest that it is time to abandon gross domestic product (GDP) as a measure of national success (Nature 505, 283–285; 2014). However, I feel that your choice of an illustration of a signpost to make this point conveys the wrong message — namely, that we must decide between economic growth and sustainable progress.

The authors' point is that GDP growth does not equate to economic growth: it is a measure of currency transactions but not of net value creation. Economic growth, properly considered, is an increase in net value produced and a rise in capital assets that can be used for value production.

Modern scientific thinking classes natural ecosystems as capital assets, so we should include the protection of ecosystems as value production and the destruction of ecosystems as value depletion. Likewise, improvements in social systems and general social well-being create value.

The genuine progress indicator (GPI) incorporates economic growth as defined in these terms, so there is no dichotomy: the signposts should be pointing in the same direction.