In April 2008, over 140 researchers in economics, environmental sciences, and social sciences from 30 countries gathered in Paris for the inaugural conference on "Economic Degrowth for Ecological Sustainability and Social Equity." The main focus of the conference was to explore the possibility of envisioning a world not solely reliant on continuous economic and material expansion. Key questions raised included: "Is it feasible for industrialized countries to embrace degrowth in the current context?" and "What social and institutional prerequisites are necessary for a just and sustainable economic degrowth process?"
The participants of the conference issued a declaration emphasizing the following points:
1. Economic growth, as indicated by rising real GDP or GNP, leads to increased production, consumption, and investment, resulting in a greater utilization of resources like materials, energy, and land.
2. Despite advancements in the eco-efficiency of goods and services, global economic growth has led to escalated extraction of natural resources and increased waste and emissions.
3. Global economic growth has not significantly reduced poverty, mainly due to unequal trade and financial practices that have widened the gap between nations.
4. Physics and ecology principles highlight the finite nature of global production and consumption levels, pointing to environmental and social costs that may be imposed on future generations.
5. Scientific evidence suggests that the global economy has surpassed ecologically sustainable limits, particularly in wealthier nations.
6. There is growing evidence that the social and economic costs of global production and consumption outweigh the benefits.
7. Wealthier nations, by surpassing their fair share of environmental resources, are limiting the environmental space available to poorer nations and causing adverse impacts.
8. Failure to align global economic activity with ecosystem capacity and redistribute wealth globally could lead to involuntary economic decline or collapse, especially affecting the most vulnerable.
The declaration calls for a shift from pursuing unlimited economic growth to a concept of "right-sizing" global and national economies, involving actions such as reducing the ecological footprint to sustainable levels and addressing poverty through sustainable means. This paradigm shift entails degrowth in affluent regions, defined as a voluntary transition towards a just, participatory, and ecologically sustainable society. The objectives of degrowth include meeting basic human needs, reducing the ecological impact of the economy, and ultimately achieving a steady-state economy with balanced consumption levels. Degrowth emphasizes quality of life over material consumption, fulfillment of basic needs for all, societal change through diverse actions and policies, reduced economic dependency, and adherence to principles of equity, democracy, human rights, and cultural diversity.
Efforts are needed to integrate degrowth into public discourse, develop practical policies for its implementation, and establish new indicators to evaluate the social and environmental impacts of economic activities accurately.