Circular Economy Podcast 156 Marcus Feldthus: the Post-Growth Guide
Post-Growth Concept Explained
- Post-growth aims to achieve well-being for all within planetary boundaries by challenging eternal economic growth.
- It is a pluralistic concept drawing from ecological economics, indigenous wisdom, and critiques of continuous growth.
Circular Economy and Post-Growth Fit
- Circular economy strategies can support a just and sufficient green transition if applied within growth-independent systems.
- Yet, in growth-based economies, circular strategies often lead to rebound effects, maintaining or increasing absolute emissions.
Circular Economy By Default vs Design
- Developed economies rely on growth and planned obsolescence, whereas less developed ones practice circular economy by default.
- Post-growth calls for designing economies to promote durability, repairability, and sufficiency, reversing disposability trends.
We zoom out to the economy part of the circular economy to talk about the Post Growth concept with Marcus Feldthus.
Together with Oscar Haumann, Marcus founded the Post Growth Guide back in 2023, as a learning space for people who want to understand the social and planetary boundaries so as to make real sustainability strategies, avoiding greenwashing, going beyond compliance, and leading the way forward for their business and wider industry.
The platform has a growing membership community and offers explainers, case studies, online courses, books, and public talks.
Marcus Feldthus is an entrepreneur from Denmark with a Master’s Degree in Business from Copenhagen Business School. Marcus, with Oscar Haumann also started a consultancy called Abel, back in 2015.
Marcus will explain the concept of Post Growth, its historical roots and what its aiming to achieve, and we talk about how the circular economy fits into a Post Growth system. We discuss how Post Growth is gaining traction and how it aligns with some of the other approaches to progressive economic, including degrowth and regenerative economics.
Marcus tells us more about the Post Growth Guide and course, about his new book, “The Economies of Small Scale”, coming out soon, and why conversation starters are a great tool to help us all think about this from practical, business perspectives.
International speaker, author and strategic advisor, Catherine Weetman helps people discover why circular, regenerative and fair solutions are better for people, planet – and prosperity.
Catherine’s award-winning book: A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business includes lots of practical examples and tips on getting started.
Stay in touch for free insights and updates…
Read on for more on our guest and links to the people, organisations and other resources we mention.
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Links we mention in the episode:
Links for our guest:
- Marcus Feldthus – LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/marcusfeldthus
- Oscar Haumann – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oscarhaumann/
- Post Growth Guide – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/post-growth-guide
- Post Growth Guides’ website: https://www.postgrowthguide.com/
- Post Growth Guide’s online course: https://www.postgrowthguide.com/Online-course
- Post Growth Guide’s eBook: https://www.postgrowthguide.com/handbook
Books, people and organisations we mentioned
- Tim Jackson – Post Growth book https://timjackson.org.uk/ecological-economics/postgrowth-book/
- Josepth Stiglitz – book – The Road to Freedom: economics and the good society https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-road-to-freedom-economics-and-the-good-society-joseph-e-stiglitz/20976768 and https://pitchforkeconomics.com/episode/the-road-to-freedom-with-joseph-stiglitz/
- Two Loops theory – find out more from the Berkana Institute https://berkana.org/our-work/pioneering-a-new-paradigm/>
- Earth4All https://earth4all.life/
- Ken Webster on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/ken-webster-28825110/ and
- Ken Webster in episode 119: the circular ECONOMY. Ken Webster is a leading thinker in the circular economy field – we explore concepts for a critical aspect that’s being ignored – the economy itself! https://www.rethinkglobal.info/119-ken-webster-the-circular-economy/ and part 2 https://www.rethinkglobal.info/119-bonus-ken-webster-the-circular-economy-part-2/
Catherine’s work:
- Circular Economy Podcast on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/showcase/circular-economy-podcast/
- Circular Economy Podcast website: circulareconomypodcast.com
- Catherine Weetman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-weetman-9419107/
- A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business – buy from any good bookseller, or direct from the publisher Kogan Page, which ships worldwide (free shipping to UK and US) https://www.koganpage.com/CircEcon2
- Interactive podcast index https://www.rethinkglobal.info/circular-economy-podcast-index/
- Rethink Global www.rethinkglobal.info
- Sign up to get the podcast player and shownotes for each new episode emailed to your inbox
Guest bio
Marcus Feldthus is an entrepreneur from Denmark who started and runs Post Growth Guide with Oscar Haumann – since 2023. He holds a Master’s Degree in Business from Copenhagen Business School. He started his first business, a consultancy named Abel, in 2015 (also with Oscar Haumann) and has made more than 100 podcast episodes on intergenerational perspectives on the ecological crises with his aunt from 2019 to 2024.
Post Growth Guide is a learning platform that explores how businesses can align with the leading science on planetary and social boundaries. It facilitates a community and offers explainers, case studies, online courses, books, and public talks.
Playlist: getting started with the circular economy…
Want to know more about the what the circular economy really is, and how it can help your business? Here’s a playlist to help you get to grips with the concept, how it creates value, and the common myths (spoiler alert – it’s much more than recycling!)
- #1 What is the circular economy: A quick intro to explain what the circular economy is and why it’s important. We explore how it helps create better products and services, and at the same time helps to make a better world. I break it down into my 5 circular economy components, helping you think about each part of your business.
- #2 The linear economy and your risk checklist: We dig a bit deeper into the way we do business now, the linear economy, and why that’s creating problems for business, society and our living planet. Also, we’ll look at the risks that emerge from those big-picture issues, and how they might affect your organisation.
- #90 Does circular mean it’s sustainable? Catherine Weetman is worried that companies are using circular economy solutions to grow their business (and their footprints).
- #101 Circular is better for people, planet and profit! How three simple strategies can help you get started with circular and regenerative solutions that are better for people, planet and profit.
- #120 Priorities are changing: people find life is better when we care for and share things – circular economy strategies make that better for business, too.
And here’s Catherine’s guide: What is the circular economy?
Want to dig deeper?
Why not buy Catherine’s award-winning book, A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business. This comprehensive guide uses a bottom-up, practical approach, and includes hundreds of real examples from around the world, to help you really ‘get’ the circular economy. Even better, you’ll be inspired with ideas to make your own business more competitive, resilient and sustainable.
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Podcast music
Thanks to Belinda O’Hooley and Heidi Tidow, otherwise known as the brilliant, inventive and generous folk duo, O’Hooley & Tidow for allowing me to use the instrumentals from the live version of Summat’s Brewin’ as music for the podcast. You can find the whole track (inspired by the Copper Family song “Oh Good Ale”) on their album, also called Summat’s Brewin’. Or, follow them on Twitter.