January 22, 2025, Vienna, Austria – A comprehensive new review by leading experts in the sustainability science field, published in Lancet Planetary Health, is challenging the long-held assumption that economic growth is necessary for societal progress. The review, titled “Post-growth: the science of wellbeing within planetary boundaries,” explores the rapidly advancing field of post-growth research and presents a compelling case for prioritizing human wellbeing and ecological sustainability over endless economic expansion.
This new review, the first of its kind, synthesizes the latest findings from various fields, including ecological economics, wellbeing economics, and degrowth. The authors argue that continued economic growth in high-income countries is not only environmentally unsustainable but also may not be socially beneficial or economically achievable. They highlight the tight coupling of GDP growth and environmental damage, the declining benefits of income on wellbeing, and the risks associated with economic slowdowns as key motivations for the post-growth agenda.
“Embracing a post-growth paradigm means prioritizing human well-being and ecological sustainability over traditional economic metrics, paving the way for a future where prosperity is measured not by GDP, but by the quality of life and the health of our planet and its inhabitants,” said Professor Diana Ürge-Vorsatz from Central European University’s Department of Environmental Sciences and Policy. “Focusing on well-being, health, work-life balance rather than on consumption will be a key element in our efforts towards bending the greenhouse gas emission curve towards net zero and therefore addressing the climate crisis. Our paper is the first comprehensive scientific review of post-growth literature.”
Key findings from the review include:
● The Limits to Growth: The review revisits the findings of the 1972 report “Limits to Growth”, noting that the world is currently tracking the “Double Resources” scenario, where collapse is driven by pollution rather than resource scarcity. This aligns with current concerns about climate change and biodiversity loss.
● Decoupling is Insufficient: While relative decoupling of GDP from resource use is common, the review finds no evidence of sustained absolute and sufficient decoupling, and models suggest that it is unlikely even with optimistic assumptions about technology.
● Social Limits to Growth: The review finds that above a certain level of income, economic growth does not improve human wellbeing, and the costs of growth (e.g., pollution and social upheaval) may offset its benefits. There are diminishing returns for social outcomes such as health, education, and poverty reduction as GDP increases.
● Post-Growth Policies: The review highlights the development of ecological macroeconomic models that test policies for managing without growth. It discusses a range of policies to reduce growth dependencies and promote wellbeing, including universal basic services, working-time reductions, job guarantees, and carbon and wealth taxes.
● Wellbeing within Limits: The review emphasizes that high levels of wellbeing can be achieved at lower levels of resource use. It argues that focusing on public services, income equality, and democratic quality can meet human needs with much lower energy use .
● North-South Dynamics: The review acknowledges the unequal exchange between the Global North and the Global South, where richer countries appropriate resources and labor from poorer nations. It suggests that post-growth in high-income countries might benefit low-income countries by reducing this exploitation. However, the review notes that post-growth could also negatively affect low-income countries that are dependent on exports to high-income countries, unless low-income countries implement policy interventions towards monetary sovereignty, industrial policy and effective delinking from high-income economies.
The authors emphasize that post-growth is a plural and open field, encompassing different perspectives such as Doughnut economics, wellbeing economics, steady-state economics, and degrowth. These perspectives converge on the need for qualitative improvement without relying on quantitative growth, and on selectively decreasing the production of damaging goods and services, while increasing beneficial ones.
The review acknowledges remaining knowledge gaps, including the politics of transition and the relationship between the Global North and South. It also calls for further research into the geopolitical implications of post-growth scenarios, and the factors that enable social outcomes to be decoupled from GDP.
This comprehensive review signals a major shift in how we think about progress and sketches a roadmap for creating societies that prioritize human and planetary health over economic growth. It marks a significant step in the post-growth field, offering insights for policymakers, researchers, and the public alike.