Debate

GDP. Gross Domestic Product. 3 letters, 3 words that have guided economic policies for decades. But in a world of finite resources, ecologically exhausted, exploding inequalities and growing malaise, we urgently need to change course and find new ways forward. The historic belief in infinite growth, the mainstay of our market economies, has reached its limits. Is degrowth the way out? Would a deliberate reduction in the scale of production and consumption lead to improved well-being and better ecological conditions? The term ‘degrowth’ is often mistaken for the notion of ‘post-growth’, a broader concept that may allow us to imagine other paths to prosperity. To build sustainable prosperity, it's time to get away from our obsession with growth and rethink our lifestyles. Is it possible to achieve sobriety while maintaining an economic activity that creates value? How can protecting the planet help to reduce inequalities? By comparing these concepts, this session invites us to rethink our economic compass by exploring other models for an economy that is no longer measured solely in terms of production and consumption, but in terms of well-being and quality of life for all. The time has come to embark on a global reform of the principles of sustainable and equitable growth.