Climate change is calling for a world post-growth

Post-Growth

According to economic anthropologist Jason Hickel, ‘Post-growth research is focused *explicitly* on rich countries. It argues that rich countries should abandon growthism as an objective and focus instead on human well-being and ecological regeneration.’

This focus on human well-being can come in a variety of forms such as by reducing inequality, ensuring living wages, and guaranteeing universal access to healthcare, education, energy, water, housing and more.

In high-income countries, this would call for changes across sectors.

For example, in the transportation sector this could mean moving away from cars and toward public transport and non-motorised transportation (e.g., cycling).

In the agriculture sector, we would ideally see a shift toward plant-based diets and policies intended to minimise food waste.

And in the industrial sector, this could come in the form of improving the lifespan of products and limiting advertising to reduce consumption.

These are just a few of the ways post-growth specialists have suggested to align high-income societies and economies with the decarbonisation pathways necessary to stop climate change.

Finally, post-growth addresses the need to take into account global justice when considering potential climate mitigation scenarios. This means closing the gap between high-income countries and low and middle-income countries in terms of the amount of energy used per person by decreasing unnecessary production in the former and increasing production in the latter.

Can Gen Z lead the way?

Dismantling an economic system that has been engrained in so many people’s lives for generations is not an easy task.

Many don’t even consider this a possibility. But if there is one generation that has the passion, drive and motivation to do good for the planet and its people and make the change, it’s Gen Z.

By raising awareness and calling on our leaders to take the necessary actions to move toward a post-growth world, we can hopefully begin to form a system that places the natural world at the centre of political and economic consideration and ensures a happy and healthy life for people everywhere.

And if these steps aren’t taken? Then it will be up to Gen Z to take on those leadership roles, whether it be in politics, business, science, education, or community building, and rebuild a world that guarantees the well being of generations to come.