The expansion of industrial and consumer societies is driving the global climate crisis. Decades of growth have brought the planet to a precipice. Unless global humanity reduces carbon emissions drastically in the years and decades ahead, we may damage our ecosphere beyond repair. While the international community is focused on the transition to renewable energy, Kohei Saito insists a more radical approach is necessary—an intentional slowdown of economic growth.
What is the degrowth agenda, and what are its origins and core tenets? Would slowing growth necessitate a far-reaching transformation of the global capitalist system? How might such a transformation look in practice—and what are the viable alternatives? Kohei Saito and David Wallace-Wells explored these questions in a conversation moderated by Meehan Crist.
This event was part of the Georgetown Global Dialogues, which featured leading intellectuals from the Global South in forward-looking conversations with U.S.-based thinkers across a range of topics. It was co-sponsored by the Earth Commons Institute and the Office of Sustainability at Georgetown University.
