A BBC documentary featuring academics, activists and co-op members, explores the concept of degrowth as an alternative to endless economic growth.
Aired on 3 August, Can ‘degrowth’ save the world? starts by describing how degrowth theory gained prominence after a series of scholars began questioning the limits to growth. Though not mentioned in the documentary, mathematician, statistician and economist Nicholas Georgescu-Roegen is widely regarded as the main intellectual figure inspiring the movement. In 1971 he published The Entropy Law and the Economic Process, in which he argued that all natural resources are irreversibly degraded when used in economic activity.
A year later another group of academics published The limits to growth, which also argued that the limits to growth on the planet will be reached sometime within 100 years.
These works inspired a generation of scholars to question the benefits of growth, particularly when measured in terms of GDP.
Proponents of degrowth also favour the democratisation of the economy and collectively managing key resources like housing – including through housing co-ops. The documentary features Sostre Civic, a housing co-op in Barcelona as a case study.
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Founded in 2004, Sostre Civic has 1,000 members and 17 ongoing projects, comprising 236 homes. It retains collective ownership of the property and members are granted the right to use the dwellings for 75 years.
“It’s a place where life in the community happens a lot,” says Ester Alegre, a co-op members who, prior to moving into the co-op, struggled with Barcelona’s high rents, having to move from one place to another. “Now I know that if I want I don’t need to move any longer.”
The co-op places a strong emphasis on building a community of people who support each other and share household items to lower consumption.
“Apart from reducing the impact of energy and material use, we are also bonding communities,” says Nina Turull, another member of the co-op.
The documentary interviews several proponents of degrowth theory, including Joan Martinez-Alier, professor of economics and economic history at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain and the author of Ecological Economy; Giorgos Kallis, ecological economist and adjunct professor at the Autonomous University of Barcelona; and Jason Hickel, economic anthropologist and professor at ICTA-UAB and visiting senior fellow at London School of Economics.
They suggest scaling down less necessary forms of production and scaling up regenerative food supplies, recycling and renewables.
Critics of degrowth theory argue that it underestimates the need for technological investments and social feasibility, would cost a lot and make people worse off. Many also argue that degrowth would be a risky experiment in the absence of any good examples of moving away from capitalism.
The documentary presents both sides of the argument, concluding that time is running out and “urgent changes are needed if we want to safeguard the future of humanity”.
Can ‘degrowth’ save the world? is available to watch on iPlayer.
