decrescimento

Decrescimento, or degrowth, is a political, economic, and social concept that argues for reducing production and consumption in wealthy regions as a path to ecological sustainability, social equity, and well-being. Rather than pursuing endless GDP growth, proponents advocate a steady state or intentionally shrinking economy guided by sufficiency, ecological limits, and human flourishing.

Core ideas include critiquing GDP as a measure of progress and recognizing planetary boundaries, resource limits, and climate change. Degrowth emphasizes social and ecological indicators, such as well-being, resilience, income distribution, and ecological footprints, over monetary growth. It also stresses democratic planning, local empowerment, and the reorganization of work and leisure around reduced consumption and greater social provision.

Policies and practices associated with decrescimento include shortening the standard work week, relocalizing production and services, expanding public goods and collective exchange networks, and promoting local economies, sharing platforms, and sufficiency-based consumption. Other strands advocate cooperative governance, participatory planning, ecological taxation, and the development of alternative metrics to measure progress, such as happiness indices or ecological, social, and governance indicators.

History and proponents trace the idea to critiques of growth that emerged in the late 20th century, with significant influence in Europe and among scholars and activists who popularized the term décroissance in French and degrowth in international discourse. Prominent figures include Serge Latouche and Maurizio Pallante, among others, who have helped organize conferences, networks, and publications aimed at reimagining economies within ecological limits.

Debates surrounding decrescimento center on its practicality and political viability, concerns about unemployment and social stability, and questions about how to manage a just transition. Proponents respond with models of a just, low-growth society that emphasizes care, provisioning, and equity rather than monetary expansion.