The IPCC report, issued on 20 March 2023, is an invaluable synthesis of climate science; however, there is a fundamental issue with IPCC reports in general. They communicate climate science using language that is also used by mainstream economists, such as modelling, equilibrium, financial flows, market barriers, leverage, costs and budgets. This shared lexicon unfortunately … Continue reading IPCC Gives Mainstream Economics A Free Pass
If only our politicians and media were as fixated with wellbeing and environmental growth on a quarterly basis as they are with financial growth. If only we had an environment governor who could intervene to "cool the jets" on materials extraction, waste and pollution in the way our Reserve Bank governor does with interest rate … Continue reading Cool the Extraction Jets
An important new paper on degrowth-oriented business value creation has just been published. We all understand how businesses create value in the growth paradigm - business models organise activities to enable strategies of efficiency, expansion and innovation to create products and services that increase material and financial wealth for stakeholders. Degrowth paradigm value creation and … Continue reading Degrowth-Oriented Value Creation
New Zealanders’ enduring relationship with GDP growth as an economic goal is nostalgic, traceable to the 1960s and a fall in the price of wool. Growth goals have reflected who we are as a nation. We are strivers through thick and thin. Looking forward, however, GDP growth would be misplaced as an economic goal given … Continue reading New Zealand’s Growth Nostalgia
The Mana Kai Framework is a set of values, goals and objectives to improve the food provisioning system in Aotearoa New Zealand, developed through a round of nationwide consultations, with the ultimate purpose of informing a National Food Strategy. This fits within the scope of degrowth, which is concerned with the sufficiency and universality of … Continue reading The Mana Kai Framework: A Degrowth Lens
Having access to adequate housing is a human need and human right. Everyone deserves to have a home. In Australia, residential buildings are provided either by the market as private housing or by the state as social housing. Yet, modest income households are falling into a gap between them. Furthermore, housing stock does not meet … Continue reading If the Market and the State Cannot Provide Affordable, Sustainable Housing in Australia, Perhaps ‘Housing for Degrowth’ Can.
A thesis by Connolly Wilkins for a Master of Architecture at the University of Sydney explores a possible socio-ecological approach to the climate crisis through the elements of degrowth design parameters. It proposes a housing scheme on the site of the abandoned White Bay Power Station in Roselle, Sydney, Australia. Abstract: The Architecture of Degrowth … Continue reading The Architecture of Degrowth
In this first ever guest post for Heliocene, New Zealand writer Frances Palmer presents a deeply inquisitive review of Underland by Robert Macfarlane. Reaching into its text and its subtexts, she compels us not only to read the book but, more importantly, to understand why it has been written. Macfarlane, himself, writes that his book … Continue reading Review: Underland by Robert Macfarlane
Morocco footballers celebrated their World Cup successes first with their mums, recognising the daily support their mothers give them. This is analogous to the whole economy, momentarily giving visibility to the fact that women everywhere bear the burden of care work. The economy doesn't only consist of goods and services that are traded. The economy … Continue reading Women’s Work: What’s It Worth?
Political geography professor Matthew Huber argues that degrowth is middle class environmentalism and cannot hope to connect with the working class. Degrowth intellectual Jason Hickel responds, echoing environmentalist Chico Mendes, who said that "ecology without class struggle is just gardening". He writes that “degrowth is justice” and that recognising this is “part of building class … Continue reading Degrowth and Labour Solidarity
Sustainable development, facilitated over the last 50 years by the UN, underpins mainstream business sustainability - the art of balancing decision making over three co-equal pillars: economic growth, environmental protection and social progress. But any business equation that includes economic growth inherently endangers environments and societies because growth (ie development) depends on extraction and exploitation. … Continue reading Sustainable Growth Is Out, Sustainable Degrowth Is In
Degrowth is a democratic, planned reduction in production and consumption to rebalance humanity's relationship with nature and improve human wellbeing. I talk a lot about how businesses and industries need to be aware of degrowth as a resilience issue - meaning they need to prepare to adapt and transform as degrowth forces gather and take … Continue reading Degrowth Policy Example
By popular request, here is a repeat of the presentation that kicked off the degrowth panel at the Auckland Climate Festival, October 2022. In his opening remarks to the panel's audience, New Zealand's climate change minister, James Shaw, said that Aotearoa needs to have a “critical conversation” about degrowth and solve how to downscale the … Continue reading Degrowth: A Theory of Change
Clothing company Patagonia’s announcement this week that “Earth is now our only shareholder” has lit up screens around the world. Founder Yvon Chouinard and his family have transferred complete ownership of the company, valued at US$3 billion, to two new entities. The Patagonia Purpose Trust, created to protect the company’s values and overseen by the … Continue reading What Does Earth Really Need From Patagonia?
In this presentation to Wall Street investment bank Jefferies and its institutional investor clients, hosted by Aniket Shah, Global Head of ESG Strategy, and William Atcheson, ESG Strategist, Jennifer Wilkins discusses how businesses can prepare for economic degrowth by recognising it as a plausible future and planning ways to adapt and transform if degrowth changes … Continue reading Business Resilience to Degrowth
The report 'The Degrowth Opportunity' introduces business practitioners to degrowth thinking and provides foresight into a world that could, in the near future, be in a state of flux, with growth and degrowth forces swirling simultaneously. Written by Jennifer Wilkins, with a contribution from Dr Stefan Gray, a specialist in climate adaptation scenario analysis. It … Continue reading The Degrowth Opportunity
White paper 'Investing in Degrowth' draws attention to emerging ideas about the degrowth economy, setting out the rationale for investing in degrowth-compatible enterprises and laying down the groundwork for deciding the core characteristics of degrowth investing. Co-authors Jennifer Wilkins, founder of Heliocene, and Bill Murphy, Executive Director of Purpose Capital, call for New Zealand's sustainable … Continue reading Investing in Degrowth
The report 'Will the Future be Pleased with Us?' examines the business sustainability approaches of New Zealand’s twenty largest businesses by revenue. Its purpose is to aid discussion within the business community about the challenges facing larger firms as they seek to mature their business sustainability practice and integrate sustainability into their core business. heliocene_will-the-future-be-pleased-with-us_06082021Download … Continue reading Will The Future Be Pleased With Us?
The bright lights of ESG are distracting us from the primary purpose of business sustainability. A sobering report from the UN Secretary-General warns that we are regressing on the SDGs. It's time now for corporates to turn their powerful gaze toward absolute impact and to refocus on business sustainability's raison d'être. The Ledger: ESG Funds … Continue reading Business Sustainability Has Lost Its Way
Heliocene 