Join Kate Raworth, creator of the doughnut model, Helen Thompson, a political economy expert, and Bim Afolami, a Conservative MP focused on renewable energy, as they explore whether we can thrive without economic growth. They discuss the necessity of revising our understanding of prosperity, emphasizing sustainability and social equity over GDP. The trio critiques the relentless pursuit of growth and advocates for innovative economic models that prioritize well-being, pushing for an inclusive dialogue that challenges traditional economic narratives.
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insights INSIGHT
Prosperity and Growth
Economic growth is necessary but insufficient for prosperity.
Prosperity encompasses living standards, health, education, leisure, and family.
insights INSIGHT
Politics and Growth
Western democracies struggle to function without economic growth.
Growth is tied to political stability and meeting public expectations.
insights INSIGHT
Balance over Growth
We must shift from endless growth to a balanced system like nature.
The focus should be on meeting everyone's needs within planetary limits.
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In *Doughnut Economics*, Kate Raworth presents a new economic model that combines the concept of planetary boundaries with social boundaries. The 'doughnut' framework aims to ensure that no one falls short on life's essentials while preventing the overshoot of Earth's life-supporting systems. Raworth argues for a shift from growth-at-any-costs mentality to an economy that prioritizes human and planetary well-being, drawing on diverse schools of thought including ecological, behavioral, feminist, and institutional economics. The book offers seven key ways to reframe economic thinking for the 21st century, emphasizing the need for economies that are regenerative and distributive by design.
Disorder
Hard Times in the 21st Century
Helen Thompson
In 'Disorder: Hard Times in the 21st Century', Helen Thompson provides a comprehensive explanation for the recent disruptions in global politics. She argues that the standard explanations for the rise of populist nationalism and authoritarianism are too simplistic and instead examines the large-scale societal shifts, particularly in how the world produces and consumes energy. The book delves into the geopolitical instability caused by the global energy rivalry between the United States, Russia, and China, and how changes in international monetary policy have remade the world economy along fragile fault lines. Thompson concludes that these factors have precipitated the crisis of democracy in Western nations, highlighting how Western governments have become more focused on the consent of plutocrats than their own citizens.
As the UK and other countries around the world grapple with a bleak economic forecast and the creeping effects of climate change, the debate over economic growth and its role in our economies has come into sharp focus.
In part one of this live event journalist Kamal Ahmed, was joined by three influential economists, Kate Raworth, Helen Thompson, and Bim Afolami to discuss if we can indeed have prosperity without growth.
Part two and three of this event are available ad free, for subscribers now. And for our listeners who don’t subscribe part 2 will be available in our next episode.
This conversation took place in May 2023 and is part of Intelligence Squared’s live debate partnership with the Southbank Centre.
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