Sub-theme at the joint conference between the International Degrowth Research Network and the International Society for Ecological Economics in Manchester 2020 

Organisers: Ben Robra1, Iana Nesterova2 and William Young1 

1 University of Leeds, Faculty of Environment, Sustainability Research Institute 

2 Independent Researcher 

500 word abstracts should be submitted to ee16br@leeds.ac.uk by 19th of February 2020 

Abstract 

Degrowth calls for the reduction in matter-energy throughput while well-being increases (Kallis, 2018). This consequently means that both production and consumption need to reduce. This does not translate into a call for a reduction to zero, but current levels of production and consumption breach the planetary boundaries and limits to a safe operating space (Bonnedahl and Heikkurinen, 2019). Humans will still need to consume to fulfil their needs and survive. The question is how, what is produced and by whom in a sustainable degrowth society. Despite the need to reduce levels of production and consumption, little attention has been paid to organisations that produce in the degrowth discourse (Hankammer and Kleer, 2018). The concept of degrowth however has significant implications for these (Shrivastava, 2015). Similarly, ecological economics has paid little to no attention to the micro economic level of organisation (Dietz and O’Neill, 2013; Hardt and O’Neill, 2017). 

The sub-theme aims to answer questions around (not limited to): 

• What organisation and production for/in a sustainable degrowth society (or other post-growth alternative) entails and implies? 

• How forms of organisation can help achieve transformations to such societal alternatives? 

• What alternative organisation theories can be used instead of ones inline with the growth-based capitalist paradigm? 

• What are the implications for organising production in light of degrowth’s stance against accumulation and capitalism? 

Format 

We aim to have sessions with up to three paper presentations followed by an open and longer than usual discussion with presenters and audience at the end of each session. This means one discussion on all three papers together. Each presenter will be asked to be an in-depth discussant of another presentation/paper to accommodate this. Participation is encouraged live (particularly by presenters) however, remote participation is also possible. 

References 

Bonnedahl, K.J. and Heikkurinen, P. (eds.). 2019. Strongly Sustainable Societies: Organising Human Activities on a Hot and Full Earth 1 edition. London: Routledge. 

Dietz, R. and O’Neill, D. 2013. Enough Is Enough. London: Routledge. 

Hankammer, S. and Kleer, R. 2018. Degrowth and collaborative value creation: Reflections on concepts and technologies. Journal of Cleaner Production. 197, pp.1711–1718. 

Hardt, L. and O’Neill, D.W. 2017. Ecological Macroeconomic Models: Assessing Current Developments. Ecological Economics. 134, pp.198–211. 

Kallis, G. 2018. Degrowth. Newcastle upon Tyne: Agenda Publishing. 

Shrivastava, P. 2015. Organizational sustainability under degrowth. Management Research Review. 38(6).