Not just what are actors spending — but how much societal capability are they creating?
We measure wealth creation exceptionally well and public-goods creation barely at all. The Public Goods Contribution Index addresses that missing half: not how responsibly an institution operates, as ESG asks, but how much societal capability it creates — better-informed citizens, stronger science, more resilient institutions, lower systemic risk.
As companies increasingly shape information, education, cybersecurity, AI, public health, and democracy, the Index asks how that contribution should be evaluated. It gives particular weight to preventive public goods — climate early warning, pandemic surveillance, election integrity, AI safety, conflict prevention — whose value lies in catastrophic losses avoided.
The Index is conceived as the measurement chapter of a larger argument about public value, designed to be cited, debated, and improved rather than perfect in its first edition.
What it measures
Public capability
Whether society is now better informed, more resilient, and lower-risk.
Preventive public goods
Contribution to goods whose value is the harm they avert.
AI-century goods
Open models, safety evaluations, cybersecurity standards, scientific datasets.
Beyond ESG
Capability created, not just operational responsibility.
Cross-sector scope
Governments, multilaterals, foundations, and technology companies, compared.