Abstract: In the last four years, inside the French Degrowth movement*, a social and economic tool able to initiate and support a democratic transition towards sustainable and desirable societies based on Degrowth has been developed. This discussions and thinking were made around the idea of basic income, resource caps, open relocalisation, free access of a “good” use of resources, etc. and also a radical reform of the economic and financial system. Hence, a redistribution of resources through the creation of the Unconditional Autonomy Allowance (Dotation Inconditionnelle d’Autonomie) necessarily coupled with a fixed maximum income has is proposed. The allowance is designed to relocalise the economy whilst preserving national and international solidarities, to gain emancipation from the central value of “work”, to get rid of the religion of economics, in order to achieve self-management, food and energy self-sufficiencies by getting out of the dependency onto non-renewable resources, mainly oil and to re-engage citizens’ participation in politics. This allowance would be unconditionally applied from birth to death; it covers free use of energy, water and food, free access to goods and public services (food, education, health, transport) and the creation of local non speculative currencies. It would also be an economic tool to get rid of the debts crises and the speculation trap in creating new local, social, participative and non-speculative economic systems.

Contribution to the 3rd International Degrowth Conference for Ecological Sustainability and Social Equity in Venice in 2012.