New Zealand needs a strategy for a more resilient economy. The SBC/CLC report Driving Sustainable Growth: Opportunities for New Zealand’s Economy presents a credible, attractive pathway that could unlock up to $33 billion in lower-emissions GDP gains per year. But this is not, on its own, a sufficient economic strategy. Affluence without sustainability is no … Continue reading The Case for a Multi-Pathway Economic Strategy
This policy essay introduces the Stability–Constraints Matrix, a framework for understanding the strategic options facing advanced economies as growth becomes more constrained and volatile. In uncertain times, stability is a North Star for economic strategy. The Stability–Constraints Matrix maps the interplay between constraints and institutional strength and reveals a landscape of strategic options for advanced … Continue reading Stability–Constraints Matrix
New Zealand’s economic model assumes growth will stabilise the system. But as structural constraints build, that assumption is becoming less reliable. This is not a forecast—it’s a strategy question. Global fuel disruptions, sudden tariffs and extreme weather events remind us that stability is not a natural equilibrium, but requires coordination. New Zealand’s economic strategy rests … Continue reading New Zealand Needs Another Plan for Economic Stability
Public policy in New Zealand, as in other rich nations, is directed by capitalist interests. The public, however, is increasingly realising that capitalist interests do not align with those of society and nature. Can corporate sustainability and sustainable finance institutions make the switch from representing capitalism to helping businesses evolve beyond its grasp? Look at … Continue reading A post capitalist business world may be key to a sustainable economy
António Guterres says the world’s accounting systems should move 'Beyond GDP' to place true value on the environment by complementing GDP with other indicators, helping governments and the public assess whether GDP growth is truly improving human wellbeing, advancing equity, and safeguarding sustainability now and for future generations. As Jason Hickel points out (in the … Continue reading Moving beyond growth, a critical step to post growth
Double materiality between climate and business is deepening in real time. A scan of past headlines tells of rising public awareness of climate and nature issues, failing action and a capitalism increasingly unfit for the challenges it faces. If trends continue, businesses will be negatively impacted by chaos and will inevitably support transition to an … Continue reading Businesses need stability; capitalism creates chaos
Every time you read, write or begin to say the phrase “economic growth”, swap it out for the phrase “economic activity”. It will cause you to think differently about what is being suggested. You’ll ask: economic activity involving whom, using what, doing what, to create what, to achieve what, for whom, and why? These are … Continue reading Prosperous economic activity, not growth
An Oct 2024 report by EY NZ and WWF NZ, A Nature Positive Aotearoa, argues that a rapid, major boost to nature protection would contribute to long-term net GDP growth. However, there’s much in the report to support further thinking through a degrowth/post growth lens. NZ is in crisis with 66% of native forest, 90% … Continue reading A Post-Growth Nature-Positive Aotearoa
The current global economic growth model is increasingly at odds with the environmental and climate realities we face. Tackling climate change in growth settings will inevitably result in nature losses, which are not being adequately accounted for—a recent BCG report being a prime example. Climate change solutionism generates false optimism, perpetuating the idea that economic … Continue reading The Ill Logic of Addressing Climate Change to Save Growth While Growth Destroys Nature
In an age when economic growth is slowing in wealthy economies, New Zealand’s political and economic systems stay tethered to the promise of prosperity through growth—and falter when growth trickles out. Yet, when pursued blindly, growth can undermine the very prosperity we believe it should boost. It’s time for a national conversation about the rising … Continue reading When growth is an impediment to prosperity
The timing could not be sweeter for a new paper—Post-growth: the science of wellbeing within planetary boundaries—from the leaders of post-growth thinking, providing an overview of the current research. With concerns rising that economic growth in high income nations is not sustainable, socially beneficial or even economically achievable, post-growth research is centred on replacing the … Continue reading Post-Growth Science Explained
Housing has become an expensive asset and a key pillar of capitalism, where profitability reigns—leaving some people in substandard homes or without a home at all. Instead, the building industry needs to see itself as part of a system for provisioning shelter—satisfying a human need—rather than a developer of housing as an asset. This shift … Continue reading A Change in Building, By Design
What is social-ecological thinking? How can social-ecological movements leverage change towards a sustainable economy? How can social-ecological drivers change the economy, eg the agri-food sector? These three macroeconomic questions are tackled in the presentation below, which contributed to a session at the 'Economy for Public Good' conference in Wellington, New Zealand, on 24 November 2024, … Continue reading Social-ecological Movements
It was such a privilege to be invited by WEAll Aotearoa to participate in a webinar on post growth business alongside two heroes of mine, Melanie Rieback, CEO/Co-founder of Radically Open Security, and Erinch Sahan, business and enterprise lead at the Doughnut Economics Action Lab. My thanks to Gareth Hughes, Sally Hett and Jessica Lavelle … Continue reading Transitioning to Post Growth Industries
The New Zealand Climate Change and Business Conference is targeted at business professionals working on climate issues. I was invited to present a post-growth economics and enterprise perspective in a panel on A Thriving Economy Within Planetary Boundaries. There was a flurry of social media posts during the conference, all positive, none challenging or critical. … Continue reading NZCCBC24: Reflections through a Post-Growth Lens
Great to speak to a packed room at the 2024 NZ Climate Change and Business Conference for a kōrero on “A Thriving Economy Within Planetary Boundaries”. Below is my 4-minute speech, which focused on the X-curve to move away from status quo economics towards an eco-social future economy, and the role of degrowth thinking in … Continue reading Transitional Economics
The field of degrowth and post-growth finance is in its nascent stages, with ongoing research and emerging practices. To advance the dialogue, a session on ‘Investing in degrowth: resourcing postgrowth futures’ took place at the joint 10th Intl. Degrowth Conference and 15th Conference of the European Society of Ecological Economics in Pontevedra, Spain, on 19 … Continue reading 2024 Degrowth Conference: ‘Investing in Degrowth’ Session Summary
What role can investing play in a degrowth transformation of the economy? New Zealand's Impact Investing Network (IIN) has begun to explore the potential for funds managers to help engineer an economic system breakthrough, pinning a spotlight on the idea of degrowth-aligned investing. The IIN, a peak body dedicated to expanding the impact investing sector … Continue reading Degrowth-aligned Investing
Degrowth responds directly to climate change and other sustainability and wellbeing issues, affecting energy and resource use. It is crucial not to overlook it when developing climate scenarios for the energy sector. The Aotearoa New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) has released Electricity Demand and Generation Scenarios, July 2024, reinforcing mainstream assumptions … Continue reading We Need Degrowth Energy Scenarios
This presentation introduces degrowth-aligned finance in a webinar hosted by the Sustainable Finance Network of the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA), the largest professional body for environmental practitioners in the UK and worldwide. There's also a brief presentation by Adrian Vodislav, Structured Finance Officer of the European Investment Fund (EIF), discussing the EIF's … Continue reading Intro to Degrowth-aligned Finance
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