About
Motivation
Our world faces multiple interlocking crises.
The global economy is driving dangerous climate breakdown and overshooting multiple planetary boundaries. At the same time, large portions of the human population remain unable to meet basic needs. How can we achieve rapid emissions reductions and bring resource use back to sustainable levels while at the same time ending poverty and ensuring good lives for all? This is a question of major societal importance, which requires rigorous scientific answers. The REAL project is designed to deliver on this objective.
Purpose of project
Our research project aims to fill a large social science gap, between the empirical and quantitative imperative to remain within planetary boundaries, and the policy-provision-politics configurations that would enable our societies to change course while prioritising human wellbeing.
Within the project, we identify core elements of research essential to bridging post-growth trajectories with real-world feasibility.
Our focus areas include inter- and intra-national inequalities, trade relations and unequal exchange, labour and wellbeing, existing examples of post-growth, and economic democracy.
In short, our ambition is to provide the research insights necessary for revolutionary post-growth societal transformations.
REAL objectives
1
Propose just and equitable pathways to reduce material and energy use, to bring societies within planetary boundaries.
2
Provide a toolkit of policies that can maintain and improve wellbeing in a post-growth context, and achieve North-South convergence.
3
4
Assess models of political organising to mobilise towards post-growth deals.
5
Bridge the gap between post-growth theory and implementation, through dialogues & decision-making processes, from the international to the local level.
Organisation of work
The REAL project consists of multiple tasks organised into thematic work-packages, according to post-growth Possibilities (WP1), Policies (WP2), Provisioning (WP3), Politics (WP4) and Practice (WP5). The REAL project PIs are involved in all of these work-packages, with Jason Hickel leading on Policies, Julia Steinberger on Provisioning, and Giorgos Kallis on Politics.
WP1
Planetary Possibilities
Planetary Possibilities
Phase 1: Establishing Post-growth Paradigm
1.1 North-South convergence scenarios of resource use
1.2 Material prerequisites for decent living
Phase 2: Towards Transformation
1.3 Labour and material footprinting
1.4 Learning from low-no growth experiences
Phase 3: Realising Post-Growth
1.5 Essential and non-essential activities
1.6 Post-growth IAM scenarios
WP2
Post-growth Policies
Post-growth Policies
Phase 1: Establishing Post-growth Paradigm
2.1 Mapping unequal exchange
2.2 Policy mapping
Phase 2: Towards Transformation
2.3 Post-Growth Deals for the EU
2.4 Post-Growth Deals for the Global South
Phase 3: Realising Post-Growth
2.5 Framing & feedback of policies
2.6 Model policy outcomes for policy-makers
WP3
Post-growth Provisioning
Post-growth Provisioning
Phase 1: Establishing Post-growth Paradigm
3.1 Determinants of social outcomes
3.2 Overview of provisioning alternatives
Phase 2: Towards Transformation
3.3 Democratizing provision alternatives
3.4 Interactive Model of Alternative Provision
Phase 3: Realising Post-Growth
3.5 Feedback from Model of Alternative Provision
3.6 Model of transformation in provision
WP4
Post-growth Politics
Post-growth Politics
Phase 1: Establishing Post-growth Paradigm
4.1 Movement politics
4.2 Institutional/party politics
Phase 2: Towards Transformation
4.3 Geo-politics of post-growth
4.4 Post-growth in rural peripheral areas
Phase 3: Realising Post-Growth
4.5 Models of political organizing
4.6 Leverage points
WP5
Post-growth In Practice
Post-growth In Practice
Phase 1: Establishing Post-growth Paradigm
5.1 Post-growth framework and principle
5.2 Preparation of local processes
Phase 2: Towards Transformation
5.3 Planning Action Processes
5.4 Execution
Phase 3: Realising Post-Growth
5.5 Prototyping
5.6 Comparison/synthesis
Safe and just policy packages
