Economic or GDP growth is often taken for granted to be what all economies strive for. But does higher economic growth always mean a society that is better off? What is not measured by this number, and what are the social and environmental trade-offs in our pursuit of growth? 

Degrowth is one academic and social movement trying to understand the relationship between the earth’s biophysical limits, social well-being and our economy, and find out what can help economies deliver on “a good life for all” within planetary boundaries. If you have heard of degrowth / post-growth / donut economics before and want to find out more about how it’s connected to climate justice, this episode is for you! 

On this episode of the Climate Kopitiam, join hosts Sammie, Isaac, and our guest, Yong Feng, a masters student at the Autonomous University of Barcelona and SG Climate Rally member, as we give an overview of degrowth’s main arguments - how economic growth leads to environmental degradation and does not necessarily lead to better welfare. We then explore the possibility of various degrowth ideas in policy and ground-up initiatives, whether proposed or already in practice, outside or within Singapore.  

The podcast cover is inspired by this quote from Degrowth: A Vocabulary for a New Era: “Degrowth is not about making an elephant smaller, it is about turning an elephant into a snail”.

Shownotes:

(00:00) Introduction

(02:33) Economic Growth and Biophysical Limits

(07:10) Sociopolitical Aspects of Degrowth

(14:34) Example of Policies for Degrowth

(17:40) Ground-up Degrowth Initiatives in Action

(23:36) Reflections of Degrowth during Covid-19 

(26:32) Possibility of Degrowth Policies in Singapore

(28:28) Degrowth and Climate Justice 

(34:45) What brings you hope when it comes to degrowth?

References:

1. Oxfam Climate Equality Report - https://makerichpolluterspay.org/climate-equality-report/

2. Our World in Data on Production versus Consumption Emissions- https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/production-vs-consumption-co2-emissions?country=USA~GBR~CHN~IND~SGP

3. Deforestation Footprints - https://www.carbonbrief.org/scientists-calculate-trade-related-deforestation-footprint-of-rich-countries/

4. Decoupling Debunked report by European Environmental Bureau - https://eeb.org/library/decoupling-debunked/

5. Ground Up Initiative (GUI) in Singapore - https://www.facebook.com/groundupinitiative/

6. Article about Majulah Universal Basic Income - https://www.ricemedia.co/current-affairs-features-universal-basic-income-inequality-interview-part-one/ 

7. Rutger Bregman. 2014. Utopia for Realists: And How We Can Get There. 

8. Can Batllo (example of urban commons in Barcelona) - https://cooperativecity.org/2023/11/10/measuring-social-return-the-case-of-the-community-centre-can-battlo/

Additional Resources:

1. [Book Chapter] Bertrand Seah. 2020. Another Garden City is Possible: A Plan for a Post-Carbon Singapore in Schneider-Mayerson eds. Eating Chilli Crab in the Anthropocene 

2. Degrowth Singapore Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/3844872028890880/?mibextid=oMANbw 

3. Database of Degrowth Resources: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/18Z7kTs0smhOU9S3DyGNJ_MBQeu3XKW2qdxa3unOEn6I/htmlview#

4. [Book] The Future is Degrowth: A Guide to a World Beyond Capitalism by Matthias Schmelzer, Aaron Vansintjan and Andrea Vetter

5. [Book] Less is More: How Degrowth Will Save the World by Jason Hickel