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As political leaders collect for a second convention on the European Parliament on methods to transfer “past progress”, we, the undersigned lecturers and civil society organisations, see the geopolitical disaster as a possibility to disengage from the socially and ecologically dangerous progress competitors and as an alternative embrace a wellbeing cooperation.
There is no such thing as a empirical foundation indicating that it’s attainable to globally and sufficiently decouple financial progress from environmental pressures.
The pursuit of countless financial progress by excessive revenue nations is an issue because it both reduces or cancels the outcomes of environmental insurance policies. The present local weather chaos and unraveling net of life on which our society relies upon is an existential menace to peace, water and meals safety, and democracy.
Advancing to a post-growth economic system just isn’t solely to outlive, but in addition to thrive. This calls for a democratically-planned and equitable downscaling of manufacturing and consumption, typically known as ‘degrowth’, in these international locations that overshoot their ecological sources.
That is Europe’s world peace challenge, as a result of its present financial progress is inflicting conflicts each in and past Europe.
Within the context of high-income nations, a smaller footprint doesn’t imply worse dwelling situations. Sufficiency insurance policies specializing in frugality, useful resource discount, and work time discount can considerably enhance wellbeing and reduce environmental pressures, subsequently creating the likelihood for sustainable prosperity with out progress.
With the intention to guarantee the best high quality of life with the bottom footprint, we should utterly change the objectives and guidelines of the financial sport. In a post-growth economic system, the present deal with quantitative progress would get replaced by the purpose of thriving in a regenerative and distributive economic system, one which delivers qualitative wellbeing by assembly the wants of all individuals throughout the technique of the dwelling planet — as elaborated within the framework of Doughnut Economics.
The markets have confirmed to be ill-equipped to take advantage of essential choices in our society. For the economic system to serve the individuals, slightly than the opposite means round, individuals should be given again management over the economic system. To alter the principles of the sport, we have to be taught from already present initiatives. For instance, upscaling throughout the EU the mannequin for not-for-profit cooperatives.
A manifesto
In gentle of those urgent challenges and stimulating alternatives, we name on the European Union, its establishments, and member states to implement:
1. Publish-growth European Establishments: represent everlasting buildings on the fee, the council, the parliament, and inside member states to evaluate put up progress methods and pathways.
2. A European Inexperienced Deal past progress: design a brand new flagship programme formed round a systemic change strategy that aspires to create a thriving future inside planetary boundaries, with degrowth as a needed transition part in the direction of a put up progress vacation spot.
3. Past progress insurance policies primarily based on the 4 ideas of:
• Biocapacity: fossil gas phase-outs, limits to uncooked materials extraction and nature safety and restoration measures for wholesome and resilient soils, forests, marine and different ecosystems. E.g., a Fossil Gasoline Non-Proliferation Treaty, a Useful resource Justice and Resilience Act together with a binding materials footprint discount goal and actual, area-based nature restoration.
• Equity: fiscal devices to foster a extra equal society by eradicating revenue and wealth extremes, in addition to super-profits. E.g., a carbon wealth tax, each minimal and most incomes.
• Wellbeing for all: secured entry to important infrastructures through an improved, ecologically-sensitive welfare state. E.g., Common Primary Companies (together with the human rights to well being, transport, care, housing, training and social safety and so on.), job ensures, value controls for important items and companies.
• Lively democracy: citizen assemblies with mandates to formulate socially acceptable sufficiency methods and strengthen insurance policies primarily based on ecological limits, equity and wellbeing for all and a stronger function for commerce unions. E.g., native wants discussion board, local weather conventions, participatory budgeting.
It has been 5 years because the first post-growth convention. Inside civil society and academia, growth-critical concepts have been getting ever stronger. The main points of these concepts are being mentioned within the European Parliament and with the European Fee proper now.
Scientific information and coverage insights can be found to make the concepts of degrowth and post-growth a actuality. The crises we face are additionally alternatives to create a brand new system that may safe wellbeing for all whereas permitting for a thriving democratic life and a slower but sweeter mode of dwelling.
A full record of 400 signatories might be considered right here
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