The issue of economical growth and the price we pay for the unreflective pursuit of a continuous increase in public debate is increasingly emerging. More and more people are saying that the GDP race is no longer paying off. There is simply a request to make fresh narratives, especially erstwhile we talk about the future not only of the European Union but of the full planet. In May 2023 the European Parliament was organised "Beyond Growth" conference. Throughout all cases, the word "dewrost" was changed. What is this concept, and why is the planet watching it?
According to ‘Degrowth: fresh Era Dictionary“ Degrowth is “a rejection of the illusion of growth and a call to depoliticize the public debate [on the development] colonized by the language of economics. This is simply a task supporting democratically introduced restrictions on production and consumption in order to accomplish social justice and sustainable development."
Where did the defiance come from?
“ Décroissance (fr. degrowth) was a slogan that was born thanks to extremist antisystemic critics who wanted to inform the planet of the physical limits of improvement and to consider both the meaning of life and the imperialistic dimension of development. Gilbert Rist, author of «The past of Development: From Western Origins to Global Faith» (1996) wrote that derision is simply a neologism that was an awesome and first marketing feat that could be invented by professionals, even erstwhile we are all aware of its ambiguity”.
The "Beyond Growth" conference was a continuation of a global debate launched in 2018 and was the first to take place in the European Parliament building. Louison Cahen-Fourot, 1 of the panelists, called it "Woodstock of the postgrowth" – this word is frequently utilized interchangeably with "degrowth", although not entirely the same. It was more like a stone performance than a conference due to the atmosphere of the large holiday.
The conference's title was inspired by Herman Daly's 1996 book "Beyond Growth: The Economics of Sustainable Developement", which dealt with the request for changes in economical reasoning due to the environmental crisis.
Many figures from the planet of discipline and politics, specified as Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz, Dr Jason Hickel, Kate Raworth, and the president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, attended the debate.
Growth limits – where are we and where are we going?
The panel, under this title, began a series of discussions. It was opened by Philippe Lamberts, an organizer for the Green Party. He stressed that the event could be organised despite political divisions.
Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, spoke at the inauguration. She stressed that the fossil fuel-based growth model was obsolete, which caused a long public applause. She besides mentioned that 50 years ago, in 1972, the Roman Club and a group of researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology published growth limits report ("The Limit of Growth") saying that population growth and economical growth must be stopped, otherwise our planet will not stand for it. She besides talked about recent IPCC report (The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) which provides objective, technological information on climate change and reminds that the economy needs to be decarbonised as shortly as possible. That is why the European Green Deal was created.
Bibliography:
- "Exploring Degrowth, A Critical Guide" Vincent Liegey and Anitra Nelson (Pluto Press, 2020)
- ‘Degrowth: fresh Era Dictionary” Giacomo D’Alisa, Federico Demaria, Giorgos Kallis
- Culture Time, No 3, March 2020
- "Economics of bagel" — Kate Raworth (Political Criticals, 2023)
- “The bagel in Polish” (Political Critics, 2023)
- Jason Hickel, “less means better. How a decision distant from economical growth will save the world”, Karakter, 2024
- "Transitioning to a Post-Carbon Society – Degrowth, Austerity and Wellbeing", editors: Ernest Garcia, Mercedes Martinez-Iglesias, Peadar Kirby (Palgrave Macmillan, 2016)
- Rob Dietz, Daniel W. O’Neill "Enough is enough: Building a Sustainable Economy in a planet of Finite Resources", Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2016
- Herman A. Daly "Beyond Growth: The Economics of Sustainable", Beacon Press, 1997
