What do politicians talk about when they (don't) talk about sufficiency and degrowth? – Webinar on June 5th
Join us for the 9th and final installment in our webinar series on degrowth. The Webinar takes place on June 5th from 9 AM to 10 AM (CEST).
Concepts like sufficiency and degrowth – which focus on meeting people’s basic needs, staying within ecological limits, and reducing our dependence on energy and resources – are gaining more attention in policy discussions. In Norway, for example, the "avoid-shift-improve" framework has made its way into climate policy. The UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has also underlined the importance of sufficiency policies in cutting emissions, alongside efficiency and renewables.
But as these concepts become more visible in policy making, a key question remains: Are they truly reshaping the way politicians think about sustainability?
The answer, in short, is not really.
In this presentation, we’ll explain why. We’ve examined how Norwegian political parties, and the public understand and respond to the ideas of sufficiency and degrowth, based on in-depth interviews with policymakers and a national survey of public attitudes.
We start by exploring how parties across the political spectrum view their ability and willingness to challenge the status quo – particularly the deep-rooted focus on efficiency and economic growth that still dominates sustainability policy. Then, we compare those political views with public opinion: How ready are people to reduce consumption? How do they feel about policies aimed at living with less?
Our goal is to build a grounded, bottom-up understanding of the real possibilities and limitations for implementing sufficiency and degrowth policies, both now and in the future. We aim to highlight where public support exists, where political resistance remains strong, and what this means for shaping a more sustainable society.
Ultimately, we hope to spark a deeper conversation about the political realities of shifting away from endless growth. What kind of energy system do we want? What industries and lifestyles should we prioritize or let go of? These are critical questions for anyone serious about a just and sustainable future.
Presenters: Tomas Skjølsvold and Gisle Solbu (both NTNU)
ABOUT THE WEBINAR SERIES: The Gemini Centre for Post-Growth Futures and Post Consumption Citizenship are proud to be hosting a webinar series starting in September of 2024, and leading up to the 18th conference of the International Society for Ecological Economics and the 11th International Degrowth conference in Oslo 24th to 27th of June 2025. The series will comprise of a total of 9 webinars where we share knowledge and discuss interesting topics related to degrowth and post consumption citizenship.
Read more about the webinar series here: https://postcc.no/en/webinar