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Degrowth: How Much is Needed?

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  • Ted Trainer

    (University of New South Wales)

Abstract

The considerable literature on Degrowth has focussed mainly on the case for it and on elements of a desirable new economy. Little attention has been given to the magnitude of the required Degrowth, and the common implicit assumption is that it would not be very great, enabling a desirable economy to be achieved by reforms within the existing economy. The following discussion argues that this is mistaken and that the reductions must be so large that they cannot be implemented within the existing structures and must involve extremely radical system change. Implications for the form that a sustainable and just society must take and for the way it might be achieved it are explored.

Suggested Citation

  • Ted Trainer, 2021. "Degrowth: How Much is Needed?," Biophysical Economics and Resource Quality, Springer, vol. 6(2), pages 1-8, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:bioerq:v:6:y:2021:i:2:d:10.1007_s41247-021-00087-6
    DOI: 10.1007/s41247-021-00087-6
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Carlos de Castro & Iñigo Capellán-Pérez, 2020. "Standard, Point of Use, and Extended Energy Return on Energy Invested (EROI) from Comprehensive Material Requirements of Present Global Wind, Solar, and Hydro Power Technologies," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-43, June.
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    Cited by:

    1. O'Dell, Dallas & Contu, Davide & Shreedhar, Ganga, 2025. "Public support for degrowth policies and sufficiency behaviours in the United States: a discrete choice experiment," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 126084, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    2. Trainer, Ted, 2022. "A technical critique of the Green New Deal," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 195(C).
    3. Rasmus Karlsson, 2021. "Learning in the Anthropocene," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-11, June.

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