In a recent TED talk by the unbelievably articulate Richard Wilkinson, the gap between rich and poor was identified as the principal barrier in creating the greatest advances in social sustainability, now possible through increased income equality as evidenced in the Nordic countries such as Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Finland, as well as Japan, where the income gap is smallest.
So what do real-world solutions to the income gap look like? We are told, for a start: income re-distribution schemes, progressive taxation, review of tax havens, greater prosecution of tax dodgers, and mandatory enforced regulations on bonus capping.
http://www.ted.com/talks/richard_wilkinson.html
Image courtesy of and with thanks to TED.