It will not have escaped your notice that we are in the middle of a socio-economic transition. As it becomes increasingly painfully clear that our current economic system is unsustainable due to advancing climate change and the collapse of biodiversity, there is more and more room for fundamentally different, pluralistic economic voices. The neo-classical economic dominance with its focus on welfare, improvement of living standards and economic growth is making way for a new focus on well-being, improvement of living standards and ecological growth. In this triptych, you get to know a number of radically new economic thinkers and radically new economic thinking.
Today’s topic is de-growth. Why has economic growth become so inextricably linked to our current system? How necessary is growth? How do we practice post-growth or de-growth?
In the studio we have Kees Klomp who introduces the book THRIVE: fundamentals for a new economy. What role does de-growth play as a fundament? And what role does it play related to the other fundaments collected in the book? Egbert Dommerholt is the first de-growth lector in the Netherlands. He will share his knowledge of de-growth, and shine some light on the relation between de-growth and circular economy. Crelis Rammelt is co-founder of Dutch de-growth platform Ontroei and assistent professor at the UvA. How do students appreciate this ‘new’ perspective on economy? Arne Hendriks is designer and artistic researcher. His recent work has relations with growth and de-growth. He will show his work. Both Melanie Rieback and Cecile van Oppen are entrepreneurs that don’t put growth at the hart of their business. How does that work?
It is simply not possible to carry on at the current level of economic activity without destroying the environment.
The world has finally awoken to the reality of climate breakdown and ecological collapse. Now we must face up to its primary cause. Capitalism demands perpetual expansion, which is devastating the living world. There is only one solution that will lead to meaningful and immediate change: degrowth.
