Post-growth is an economic and social concept that challenges the idea that continuous economic growth is necessary for societal well-being. It advocates for a shift away from GDP-focused policies and towards sustainable, equitable, and ecological alternatives. The movement emphasizes well-being, community resilience, environmental sustainability, and a more balanced relationship with nature.
Some key ideas within post-growth thinking include:
Steady-State Economy: Maintaining economic stability without relying on perpetual growth.
Well-Being Over GDP: Prioritizing health, education, and happiness rather than economic expansion.
Circular Economy: Reducing waste by designing systems that reuse and regenerate materials.
Redistribution & Equity: Ensuring resources are shared fairly rather than concentrating wealth among a few.
Degrowth is an economic and social movement that challenges the idea of continuous economic growth, which is a central concept in most modern economies. The basic premise of degrowth is that unrestrained growth in economic output and consumption leads to environmental degradation, social inequality, and unsustainable lifestyles.
The movement advocates for reducing overall production and consumption, focusing instead on enhancing well-being, social equity, and ecological sustainability. The goal is to shift away from material accumulation and toward a society that values quality of life over quantity.
Key ideas often associated with degrowth include:
Reducing resource consumption to mitigate environmental impact.
Redistribution of wealth and resources to address social inequalities.
Local economies and sustainability over globalized production systems.
Reevaluating success and progress, focusing on happiness, health, and community well-being rather than GDP growth.
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.
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