By browsing this website, you acknowledge the use of a simple identification cookie. It is not used for anything other than keeping track of your session from page to page. OK
1

We already live in a degrowth world, and we do not like it

Bookmarks
Book

Naudé, Wim

Institute of Labor Economics, Bonn

IZA - Bonn

2023

30 p.

sustainable development ; economic growth ; social inequality ; ecology ; technological change

Discussion Paper

16191

Economic development

https://docs.iza.org/dp16191.pdf

English

Bibliogr.

"The Degrowth Movement calls for "degrowth" – a reduction in GDP in advanced economies – to avert an ecological crisis. This paper argues that the Degrowth Movement misses that the West is already in a state resembling degrowth – a Great Stagnation. This state of degrowth and its correlates, declining entrepreneurship, innovation, science, and research productivity, are described. It is concluded that the notion that a degrowth economy can generate the technological progress necessary to tackle ecological and social crises and challenges is far-fetched. Moreover, as economic stagnation has taught, the consequence of degrowth is a zero-sum society: redistribution, instead of production, becomes the basis of the economy. In such a context, more degrowth will only make problems worse. This paper concludes by discussing scenarios for moving beyond Degrowth. Whether collapse or unimaginable riches through breakthrough technological progress will be the future, these scenarios suggest that there is more to humanity's future than envisaged by the Degrowth Movement."

Digital



Bookmarks