D-Growth advocates for downscaling production and consumption, prioritizing well-being over economic growth.
Transition to D-Growth requires a combination of top-down measures (such as banning and taxation) and bottom-up changes in cultural values.
Creating a sustainable future involves reevaluating the purpose of economic activity, adopting democratic decision-making, and implementing measures like rationing and taxes.
Deep dives
Transitioning to a Green Economy with D-Growth
D-Growth is a movement focused on downscaling production and consumption to reduce environmental pressures and create a more sustainable society. It aims to redefine the concept of economic growth and shift towards a well-being economy. This transition involves working fewer hours in paid jobs and dedicating more time to activities that contribute to well-being, such as community engagement and personal hobbies. D-Growth advocates for democratic decision-making and the establishment of new economic institutions, such as cooperatives, to prioritize social and ecological concerns. The movement envisions a culture of sufficiency, where individuals make conscious choices to reduce material consumption and live more sustainably.
Challenges and Opportunities in D-Growth
While a transition to D-Growth presents challenges, such as the need to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and change cultural norms of consumption, it also offers opportunities for resilience and innovation. By redefining the purpose of economic activity and prioritizing the satisfaction of human needs, society can become more resilient to energy shortages and environmental pressures. Rationing, banning certain practices (such as expanding airports or using pesticides), and implementing taxes can be top-down measures to limit environmental impact. Concurrently, bottom-up changes in cultural values and personal choices can drive the transition to a D-Growth society.
The Role of Rationing, Banning, and Taxation
Rationing, banning, and taxation are potential tools in the transition to D-Growth. Banning practices that contribute to environmental degradation, such as expanding airports or excessive pesticide use, can immediately curb environmental pressures. Rationing resources or implementing quotas, such as carbon or flying quotas, ensures fair distribution and reduces consumption. Taxes can also help shift behaviors by making environmentally harmful practices more expensive and less attractive. A combination of top-down and bottom-up approaches, along with a cultural shift towards sufficiency and sustainable lifestyles, can facilitate the transition.
Overcoming Challenges and Achieving Resilience
While the transition to D-Growth may come with challenges, it also offers an opportunity for greater resilience and well-being. By reevaluating the purpose of economic activity and prioritizing social and ecological concerns, individuals and communities can create a more sustainable future. This shift involves working less, engaging in activities that contribute to well-being beyond material consumption, and adopting democratic decision-making processes. It also requires implementing measures like rationing, banning environmentally harmful practices, and utilizing taxes to drive behavior change. Through these collective efforts, a D-Growth society can be achieved, promoting greater resilience and a healthier relationship with the environment.
Transitioning to New Ways of Living
The podcast explores the idea of creating new patterns in living, working, and traveling as a way to address the global problem of CO2 emissions and environmental impact. It emphasizes the importance of multiple countries taking the lead in adopting sustainable practices, rather than relying on one or two countries to make a significant difference. The podcast highlights examples of countries like New Zealand, Norway, and France implementing various policies to reduce carbon and material footprints. It suggests that countries can learn from each other's initiatives and experiment with different approaches to find what works.
The Need for Democratic Decision-Making
The podcast discusses the challenges of transitioning to a sustainable future and achieving a fair distribution of resources and standards of living at a global level. It acknowledges the complexities of addressing issues like inequality and poverty while considering the well-being of other countries, future generations, and biodiversity. The importance of democratic decision-making within countries and supranational discussions is emphasized, as well as the need to empower individuals by providing access to information and encouraging dialogue. The podcast also acknowledges the potential resistance and obstacles in implementing sustainable practices and calls for a collective effort to prioritize the protection of biodiversity amid ecological and climate crises.
On this episode, we meet with social scientist and researcher at the School of Economics and Management of Lund University, Timothée Parrique.
What is degrowth, and how will it help define our future?
Parrique explains how the path to societal degrowth might unfold and the social and physical obstacles we may encounter on our way there.
About Timothée Parrique:
Timothée Parrique is a social scientist, originally from Versailles, France. He is currently a researcher at the School of Economics and Management of Lund University (Sweden).
He holds a PhD in economics from the Centre d’Études et de Recherches sur le Développement (University of Clermont Auvergne, France) and the Stockholm Resilience Centre (Stockholm University, Sweden). Titled “The political economy of degrowth” (2019), his dissertation explores the economic implications of degrowth.
Tim is the author of Ralentir ou périr. L’économie de la décroissance (September 2022, Seuil), a book adaptation in French of his PhD dissertation.
For Show Notes and Transcript visit: https://www.thegreatsimplification.com/episode/32-timothee-parrique
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