De-growth, more commonly written degrowth, is an alternative to development based on continuous economic growth. It seeks a planned, equitable reduction of energy and resource use in wealthy states while protecting well-being through redistribution and public services.
How Degrowth Works
Traditional development often uses rising gross domestic product (GDP) as evidence of progress. Degrowth argues that GDP can rise alongside environmental damage and inequality, so development should respect ecological limits and prioritize health, equality and quality of life.
| GDP-led development | Degrowth alternative |
|---|---|
| Expands production and consumption | Reduces unnecessary resource and energy use |
| Relies heavily on technological efficiency | Combines efficiency with lower total resource use |
| Measures progress through income and output | Prioritizes health, equality, leisure and sustainability |
| Pursues growth broadly | Allows poorer societies to grow while wealthy societies reduce excess consumption |
Degrowth is intended to be planned, not a recession. Policies could include shorter working weeks, progressive taxation, expanded public transport, limits on high-carbon consumption and universal access to essential services.
Amsterdam adopted its “City Doughnut” framework in 2020, assessing policies against a social foundation and ecological ceiling. Although not a complete degrowth programme, it shows how governments can evaluate development beyond GDP. France’s 2023 restriction on some domestic flights where rail alternatives take under 2.5 hours also targeted high-carbon consumption, but its limited coverage reveals the political difficulty of major reductions.
Degrowth connects to interdependence because wealthy-state consumption affects workers, resources and ecosystems elsewhere. It also concerns power, as businesses, governments and citizens contest who should bear transition costs.
Exam Technique
For SL and HL, place degrowth within development and sustainability. Define it, distinguish it from recession, use a specific contemporary example, and evaluate ecological benefits against risks to employment, tax revenue and political legitimacy.