..................................................................................Degrowth (de-escalating economic growth): towards equity and environmental health
Degrowth is the only responsible path to a 'Better Not Bigger' future
..................................................................................Degrowth (de-escalating economic growth): towards equity and environmental health
Degrowth is the only responsible path to a 'Better Not Bigger' future
Degrowth & Strategy: how to bring about social-ecological transformation
BOOK DESCRIPTION
Degrowth is a counter-hegemonic movement that has the ambitious aim of transforming society towards social and ecological justice. But how do we get there? That is the question this book addresses. Adhering to the multiplicity of degrowth whilst also arguing that strategic prioritisation and coordination are key, Degrowth & Strategy advances the debate on strategy for social-ecological transformation. It explores what strategising means, identifies key directions for the degrowth movement, and scrutinises strategies in practice that aim to realise a degrowth society. Bringing together voices from degrowth and related movements, this book creates a polyphony for change going beyond the sum of its parts.
Open Access. Read the full book here
A B S T R A C T
Degrowth – the planned and democratic reduction of production and consumption as a solution to the social-ecological crises – is slowly making its way to the sphere of policy-making. But there is a problem: proposals are scattered through a voluminous literature, making it difficult for decision-makers to pinpoint the concrete changes associated with the idea of degrowth. To address this issue, we conducted a systematic mapping of the degrowth literature from 2005 to 2020 using the RepOrting standards for Systematic Evidence Syntheses (ROSES) methodology. Out of a total of 1166 texts (articles, books, book chapters, and student theses) referring to degrowth, we identified 446 that include specific policy proposals. This systematic counting of policies led to a grand total of 530 proposals (50 goals, 100 objectives, 380 instruments), which makes it the most exhaustive degrowth policy agenda ever presented. To render this toolbox more accessible, we divided it into in 13 policy themes – food, culture and education, energy and environment, governance and geopolitics, indicators, inequality, finance, production and consumption, science and technology, tourism, trade, urban planning, and work – systematically making the difference between goals, objectives, and instruments. Following this, we assess the precision, frequency, quality, and diversity of this agenda, reflecting on how the degrowth policy toolbox has been evolving until today.
Open Access. Read the full article here
Five Insights for Avoiding Global Collapse What a 50-Year-Old Model of the World Taught Me About a Way Forward for Us Today- Gaya Harrington
"This clear-eyed, scientifically based yet extremely readable book is essential reading. Read it to learn in careful and systematic detail why the relentless pursuit of growth of monetary incomes, without considering its patterns and ignoring its inequalities, is leading humanity headlong into disaster. But read it also for hope: to learn that changing course is possible. There are feasible ways to fulfil human needs equitably, with respect for nature and the planet, which would save the planet, transform societies, and enrich all of us."
-Jayati Ghosh Ph.D. Professor of Economics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and member of the United Nations Secretary-General’s High-Level Advisory Board of Effective Multilateralism
Open Access. Read the full book here
Key policies that affluent economies can implement to achieve an equitable Degrowth transition:
- Reduce unnecessary production
- Improve public services
- Introduce a green jobs guarantee
- Reduce working time
- Enable sustainable development
Comprehensive strategy for Degrowth will mean exploring the need to:
- Remove dependencies on growth
- Fund public service
- Manage working-time reductions
- Reshape provisioning systems
