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Over the horizon: Exploring the conditions of a post-growth world

Journal Paper by Timothy Crownshaw, Caitlin Morgan, Alison Adams, Martin Sers, Natália Britto dos Santos, Alice Damiano, Laura Gilbert,Gabriel Yahya Haage and Daniel Horen Greenford
The Anthropocene Review 2019, Vol. 6(1-2) | Dec 2018

(CC) Emanuel Cruceru / unsplash.com

Maintaining steady growth remains the central goal of economic policy in most nations. However, as evidenced by the advent of the Anthropocene, the global economy has expanded to a point where limits to growth are appearing.

Facing the end of growth requires a careful re-examination of plausible future conditions. This paper draws on a diverse literature to present an interdisciplinary exploration of post-growth conditions in the areas of climate change, ecological impacts, governance, and education, finding that such conditions may invalidate many prevalent assumptions regarding the future.

The post-growth world, while subject to significant uncertainty and heterogeneity, will be characterised by profound hazards and discontinuities for both human and natural systems.

Furthermore, the study argues that an economic paradigm change will be predicated on an involuntary and unplanned cessation of growth.

This implies a necessary strategic expansion of the heterodox economic discourse to formulate appropriate responses in view of likely post-growth realities.

FULL PAPER →

The article is available in open access format via the SAGE Journal’s website. If you have difficulties accessing the paper, please get in touch: info@cusp.ac.uk.

Citation

Crownshaw T, Morgan C, Adams A, et al. Over the horizon: Exploring the conditions of a post-growth world. In: The Anthropocene Review. 2019;6(1-2):117-141. doi:10.1177/2053019618820350.

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