“Wealth is not what you own, but what you grow—within yourself, your community, and your planet.”
At the Academy of Life Planning (AoLP), we measure success not by profit alone, but by the quadruple bottom line: Purpose, People, Planet, and Profit. We also weigh SORI (Social Return on Investment) alongside ROI, recognising that real wealth flows from human potential, not just financial products.
A new academic study, Integrative Approaches Across Green Energy Technologies: The Role of Innovations in Human Capital (Strielkowski et al., 2024), confirms what we’ve long believed: human capital—the skills, creativity, and wellbeing of people—is the true engine of sustainable growth.
What the Study Found
The researchers analysed nearly 2,000 global studies on energy and human capital. Their conclusion was clear:
- Investing in people is as vital as investing in technology.
- Education, training, and wellbeing drive innovation in renewable energy, fuel entrepreneurship, and accelerate the shift away from fossil fuels.
- Communities with skilled and empowered people enjoy job creation, rising incomes, improved living standards, and more resilient local economies.
- Human capital fosters environmental awareness and policy advocacy, pushing societies toward cleaner energy choices.
Put simply: people power the planet’s transition.
Why This Matters for Our Members
For individuals and organisations alike, the study shows that human capital creates ripple effects that touch every part of life and business:
- Purpose: Align your skills and career with meaningful work in sustainability.
- People: Lift communities by creating jobs, knowledge-sharing, and building social infrastructure—schools, healthcare, housing.
- Planet: Drive environmental awareness, innovation, and policy change toward renewable energy.
- Profit: Unlock efficiency, productivity, and entrepreneurial opportunity.
This is SORI in action: social impact, environmental responsibility, and financial resilience, working together.
The AoLP Perspective
At AoLP, we teach planners and individuals to plan life before planning money. Human capital—your health, skills, creativity, networks, and resilience—represents up to 80% of your true wealth. Yet traditional financial planning ignores it, focusing instead on intermediation of financial products.
This study confirms that the path to sustainable prosperity lies in developing people, not selling products.
A Call to Action
For our members:
- Invest in yourself. Prioritise learning, wellbeing, and creative capacity. These are the assets that compound over a lifetime.
- Invest in others. Mentor, teach, and share knowledge. The ripple effect fuels both community wealth and planetary health.
- Rethink ROI. When you measure SORI as well as profit, you begin to see the true value of your choices.
Final Word
The green transition will not be won by technology alone. It will be won by people—skilled, conscious, purposeful people. By putting human capital at the centre of wealth planning, we can create a future where Purpose, People, Planet, and Profit are not in conflict but in harmony.
👉 Ask yourself today: How am I investing in my human capital?
Join the M-Power Movement
What’s in it for you?
- Empowerment: Learn how to manage your money and grow your wealth with confidence.
- Entrepreneurship: Discover tools and support to turn your ideas into thriving businesses.
- Community: Connect with like-minded individuals and organisations dedicated to financial freedom for all.
How to Get Started:
- Join Our Community: Access free resources, workshops, and networking opportunities.
- Book a Call: Speak with an expert to explore how we can support your journey to financial independence.
- Spread the Word: Help us build a global movement by sharing this vision with your network.
Together, we can redefine what financial planning means, transforming it from a service of dependency into a tool of empowerment. The M-Power Movement is not just about creating wealth; it’s about creating a fairer society where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.
Are you ready to take control of your financial future?
Join us today and be part of this transformative journey.
Steve Conley
Founder, Academy of Life Planning | Architect of the M-Power Movement.
Academy of Life Planning 