A review of the degrowth literature (561 studies) find that ‘few studies use quantitative or qualitative data…’ and those that do ‘tend to include small samples or focus on non-representative cases’. Finally, ‘large majority (almost 90%) are opinions rather than analysis’.
In my opinion, the main problem is that I don’t see any actual path towards even attempting degrowth under capitalism. The whole economy is structured around consumption. Seems to me that’s really the problem that needs to be focused on before any talk of degrowth or other approaches to sustainability can be entertained. Capitalism is fundamentally unsustainable and that is the problem that needs to be addressed as a prerequisite for any sustainable future being possible.
I agree similarly. Degrowth includes a critique of the consumption economy and overproduction of unnecessary products, but there’s no incentive for capitalists and governments to actually pursue that in a way that makes sense for capitalism, so there’s no concrete path towards degrowth policy until something necessitates it. I do however appreciate the research being done as it provides a vision for socialists in industrialized and post-industrialized countries.
I very much agree. Sustainability has to be the priority for socialist societies, and research into how sustainability can be achieved practically is valuable for that.