Transformation beyond Capitalism? The case for Degrowth!

The global pandemic of the coronavirus has demonstrated the dangers of continuing economic growth. Relentless human encroachment on nature has facilitate the transfer of dangerous viruses from animals to humans. Kallis, Paulson, D’Alisa and Demaria’s new book The case for Degrowth (Polity Press, 2020) makes an important argument for why humanity can no longer pursue economic growth policies. In this blog post, I will highlight some of the authors' key contributions.

 

It is generally accepted that a shift from fossil fuel to green energy is necessary in order to tackle climate change. Nevertheless, there continues to be an understanding that this does not necessarily question growth as such. Instead, ‘clean’ energy would allow us to pursue policies of ‘green growth’. As Kallis et al, however, clarify, ‘although certain production processes have become cleaner and more resource-efficient, country-wide and global economic growth remains tied to growing ecological footprints’ (P.10). Only if we abandon growth policies, can the challenges of ecological destruction and climate change be successfully addressed.

 

Re-claiming the commons and a focus on commoning, i.e. managing and enjoying common resources together as well as preserving them collectively for future generations, is identified as an alternative way forward. ‘This book considers old and new forms of co-living and collaborative provisioning as paths toward reinventing ourselves and our relationships while reclaiming commons’ (P.23). And change is already under way with numerous experiments of creating concrete alternatives in the here and now. ‘Worldwide, hundreds of eco-communes, transition towns, co-living and cohousing communities are learning together and gaining strength in national and global associations’ (P.57).

Importantly, the book does not just highlight the problems with current growth policies. Building on the concept of commons, it also provides a menu of concrete policies for change. The public sector and essential services, for example, can potentially play a crucial role in the shift towards non-growth based policies. ‘Services such as water, energy, waste management, transportation, education, health, or childcare could be run as municipal or consumer cooperatives rather than for-profit businesses’ (P.72). Over time, this could inspire ‘commoning’ ways of managing other industrial sectors too.

The book is, furthermore, exemplary in understanding the wider dynamics of exploitation, which does take place, of course, in the sphere of production, but equally also goes well beyond into other areas of society. It, thus, identifies ‘two enduring mechanisms evolved to engineer (and to justify) forms of exploitation vital to economic expansion: appropriation through racialization, and gendered hierarchization of production versus reproduction’ (P.38). In turn, understanding these wider dynamics of exploitation is key for the formation of broad-based alliances in support for the necessary degrowth policies.  

 

Of course, resistance to exploitation in the workplace is crucial. Nevertheless, ‘struggles over the environment, over desires and ways of living, and over care and reproduction are fundamentally about modes of production, and therefore relevant to struggles over conditions of labor’ (P.99). Hence, struggles for a degrowth political economy need to be internally linked to struggles against gender discrimination and racism as well as environmental destruction. It is the resulting broad alliances, which may ultimately bring about the necessary transformation beyond capitalism.

 

In sum, this is an extremely accessible and convincing argument for a transformation towards a political economy based on degrowth. A must-read for all those, concerned about the future of humanity, nature and our planet as a whole!

Andreas Bieler

Professor of Political Economy

University of Nottingham/UK

Andreas.Bieler@nottingham.ac.uk

Personal website: http://andreasbieler.net

25 July 2021