About the project
Today, the claim that growth is necessary for the green transition and for economic security is ungrounded. Ecological breakdown, cost of living pressures, and inequality are interlinked and systemic crises. Tackling them requires transforming the foundations of our economy, as greening business as usual proves insufficient.
A postgrowth economy meets social needs without overshooting planetary limits; priorities care and cooperation over accumulation and exploitation; gives people the economic security and freedom to live dignified, meaningful lives.
In this series, Commons Network, together with Oxfam Novib, explores how European countries can break away from dependency on economic growth and prioritize social wellbeing and thriving ecosystems. To do so, we zoom in on Food, Welfare, and Work beyond growth.
The project in numbers
3
Policy primers
12
Existing postgrowth practices
16
Policies and policy recommendations at national and EU level
The challenge
At Commons Network, we are often asked a simple yet pressing question: what would a postgrowth economy actually look like in practice?
While postgrowth ideas are gaining visibility, they are presented through complex theories that pay limited attention to concrete pathways for transformation. This can make it difficult to translate the ambitions we have for our economy into actionable practices and policies. The Beyond Growth Primer series responds to this challenge. It offers accessible explanations and practical insights that connect postgrowth principles to real-world policy contexts, helping make the transition to a caring and just future.
The solution
Primer 1
For the first primer in the series, we zoom in on Food Systems Beyond Growth. How can the European food system ensure dignified livelihoods for farmers and secure the right to food for all within planetary boundaries? This policy primer, featuring examples like the citizen-led initiative Herenboeren from the Netherlands and policy pilots in France, answers this and more questions.
Primer 2
In the Welfare Beyond Growth policy primer, we offer an alternative to the growth-centred welfare narrative. We demonstrate that the obsession with GDP is incompatible with solving the ecological crisis; and that more growth is not necessary to create economic security and social wellbeing in Europe.
Primer 3
A different approach to work is possible. Post-growth is about growing industries that are necessary for human wellbeing and the environmental transition, such as sustainable construction, agroecology, and renewable energy, and offering fair wages and better working conditions in these sectors. The Work Beyond Growth primer will provide an overview of possible routes for post-growth work.
“Instead of assuming that every sector of our economy needs to grow and create jobs, we need to have a democratic discussion about what we want our economy to deliver – and what kind of jobs and work are needed to get there.”
Work Beyond Growth Primer
This series is the product of discussions facilitated by Commons Network and partners in the Postgrowth Pan-European Network since 2023. The network brings together Members of Parliament, trade union representatives, and postgrowth experts to discuss policies and strategies to advance the postgrowth agenda.