Degrowth: Rethinking Economic Growth
What is degrowth? Explore this movement rethinking economic growth in favour of sustainability, well-being, and planetary limits.
Degrowth is one of those ideas that makes people uncomfortable - and that’s probably why it’s worth paying attention to. It’s an emerging social and economic movement that questions something most of us take for granted: that economic growth should always be the goal.
The argument is simple. Infinite expansion doesn’t work on a planet with finite resources. Our current system of production and consumption drives environmental damage, deepens inequality, and - counter-intuitively - may actually reduce overall well-being. Degrowth asks: what if we measured success differently?
What degrowth actually stands for.
Environmental sustainability.
Reduce resource extraction and waste. Shift towards renewables, sustainable agriculture, and a circular economy that prioritises reuse and recycling over constant consumption.
Social equity.
A fairer distribution of resources and wealth. Stronger local economies, fair trade, and social programmes that genuinely address inequality.
Well-being over wealth.
Shorter working hours, stronger communities, and more time for the things that actually make life good - leisure, culture, education, relationships.
How would it work in practice?
Support local production and consumption - it strengthens communities and shrinks carbon footprints. Encourage sustainable practices like organic farming and renewable energy. Push for policy changes: carbon taxes, limits on resource extraction, incentives for doing things sustainably. Experiment with shorter working weeks and job-sharing models that spread work more evenly.
The hard questions.
Degrowth isn’t without its challenges. Restructuring an economy built around growth is enormously complex, and plenty of people with a stake in the current system will resist it. There are legitimate concerns about job security and economic stability. And achieving anything meaningful on a global scale would need a level of international cooperation that’s been hard to come by.
What it could deliver.
If it worked? Less pollution, less resource depletion, and real progress on climate change. Better mental and physical health. Stronger communities. A more equal society where everyone has access to what they need. Those aren’t small prizes.
Degrowth doesn’t have all the answers, and it doesn’t claim to. But it asks the right questions - about what growth is actually for, who it serves, and whether there might be a better way to organise an economy that works for people and the planet. That conversation is worth having.
Whether it’s degrowth, circular economy, or finding the right balance between growth and responsibility - we help businesses think through these questions and act on them. Learn more about our Sustainability & Circular Economy work.
You can also access the Sustainability Decoded GPT here, which will support you with initial advice and inspiration to initiate or accelerate sustainability within your business.
Further Reading
- Welcome to Sustainability Decoded.
- The Circular Economy.