Degrowth
Degrowth is the idea that the purpose of the economy should not be growth as such but rather ensuring the well-being of everyone in a society without exceeding planetary boundaries.
On this page I look at some general aspects and principles of degrowth.
Is it time to live better with less?
Advocates of degrowth say it's time to prioritize social and ecological wellbeing.
A basic principle is that people in wealthier nations “should live simply so others - human and non-human - may simply live.”
In this video CNBC's Sam Meredith explains how the degrowth movement is seeking to directly challenge a central plank of global economic policy — that more is always better.
Degrowth "Everything you need to know"
In this article Olivia Rosane explains degrowth and some of its key principles. She also provides a brief history.
She looks at various aspects, including:
- Pros and cons of degrowth;
- Its role in attaining environmental justice;
- Its emphasis on well-being vs GDP;
- Its role in resolving our environmental crisis;
- Alternatives to degrowth;
- Some examples of degrowth in action.
December 2022: Degrowth can work — here’s how science can help
This article from Nature describes how wealthy countries can create prosperity while using less materials and energy if they abandon economic growth as an objective.
The authors argue that the question is no longer whether growth will run into limits, but rather how we can enable societies to prosper without growth, to ensure a just and ecological future.
They also emphasise that government action is crucial, but that this is a challenge. Those in power have ideologies rooted in mainstream neoclassical economics.