Degrowth critiques the global capitalist system which pursues economic growth at all costs, causing human exploitation and environmental destruction. It exposes the interconnection of systems of domination such as capitalism, extractivism, colonialism, and patriarchy. As a social movement, a field of academic research and a practice, degrowth advocates for societies that prioritise social and ecological well-being. It proposes a radical (re)distribution of power, wealth and resources, a reduction in the material size of the global economy, and a shift in common values towards care, solidarity and autonomy. Degrowth means transforming societies to ensure environmental justice and a good life for all within planetary boundaries.
Economic growth is ecologically unsustainable: the economy cannot be ‘dematerialised’, nor can economic growth be decoupled from resource use. Economic growth is socially unsustainable: it creates and widens inequalities, and is often fueled by human exploitation. Degrowth calls to break free from the growth paradigm.
Sufficiency is about ensuring everyone in the world has access to an equal and fair share of energy, materials, land and water use in order to satisfy their basic needs, while recognising the need to limit total resource use in order to achieve ecological sustainability. Rather than seeking “higher, faster, more”, it is about reducing the material size of the global economy, of production and consumption, and redistributing these equitably.
Care towards people and nature is both an attitude (‘caring about’) and a practice (‘caring for’). It calls for solidarity and empathy, over competition and exploitation. This work of subsistence and reproduction - largely unpaid and done by women - is fundamental for human wellbeing and for society to function. Yet it is undervalued and invisibilised, because it is not considered productive in the economy. Degrowth calls for a caring society with an equitable distribution of care work across genders, races and classes. This requires rethinking what kinds of labour are considered “productive”.
Justice and distribution is about everyone being treated fairly within and across generations and geographies, particularly with regards to the distribution of wealth, resources, and opportunities. It means recognising the disproportionate impact of ecological breakdown on marginalised peoples and reversing the historical global trend of wealth accumulation by the few through the dispossession and exploitation of the majority.
Collective autonomy is the ability of a group to make decisions and define its own rules independently and consciously, free from domination. This self-regulation of social life is practised through democratic deliberation among autonomous individuals. This requires challenging the current institutions that perpetuate the colonial, racist and patriarchal structures and decentralising political and economic power.
Decommodification determines the degree to which people can choose to organise their lives independent of the market of goods, services and labour. It aims to undo the commercialisation of all spheres of our lives, which orients relationships between people and with nature through a market-logic. It also critiques market-based solutions to the ecological crisis, such as carbon markets and offsetting schemes. Together with decommodification, commoning contributes to shifting our value system and productive structures. Commoning is a collective practice of self-governing the use, benefit and regeneration of resources independent of private ownership, markets and the state.
Decommodification and commoning should always be emancipatory. Especially with regards to care, decommodification and commoning should not deepen the invisibilisation of care work and exploitation of care workers, but rather lead to a more equitable distribution, especially across genders, races and classes.
Convivial tools and technology are accessible and ecologically-oriented in their purpose, fabrication and use. They are shared, they are easy-to-repair, and they are not controlled by an exclusive body of experts.
It is essential to recognise the existence and interconnection of systems of domination such as imperialism, colonialism, extractivism, patriarchy and capitalism. Acknowledging this allows one to understand the structural inequalities between and within countries, genders, races, social classes, sexual orientations, etc. Degrowth stands against all systems of domination and exploitation, in its practices, theories and imaginaries.
Degrowth rejects one-dimensional analyses. It approaches social, political and environmental crises with perspectives from multiple research fields: anthropology, history, philosophy, economics, geography... Degrowth is not only an academic theory, it also draws on the knowledge of activists and practitioners globally. Combining both theory and praxis from all over the world offers diverse perspectives that can recognise and critique the complex system within which we live.
The pluriverse is an interconnected web of all the movements that aim for justice and sustainability in a multiplicity of ways. As the Zapatistas say, it is “a world where many worlds fit”. Degrowth celebrates the diversity and autonomy of the pluriverse because there is value and important lessons in other ways of doing. Recognising this multitude of movements and practices is also essential to realise the change we advocate for, together.
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The word “degrowth” is often questioned as being problematic or misleading. For some, it has a negative connotation and a false equivalence with recession. Yet, like other de-words (decolonisation, delinking, demilitarisation etc) which go beyond merely stopping destructive processes, degrowth means much more than an opposition to the growth impetus. It also involves the fundamental rethinking of the ways we live, inhabit the Earth, and make decisions collectively.
The English word “degrowth” became prominent after the first international degrowth conference in Paris in 2008. It has since then been established in academic writing as well as in the media and is used by social movements and practitioners. An advantage of using a term that is clear and unambiguous in its opposition to the capitalist system of economic growth is that it is hard to co-opt, as terms like “sustainable”, “green“ and “eco” have been. Besides, a term which is intentionally provocative is more effective at creating disruption and catalysing debates in a world where the critique of economic growth is a radical statement.
We object to all right-wing, racist and sexist forms of growth critique.
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