CRESTING ESR (Early Stage Researcher) Martin Calisto Friant, member of the Dutch degrowth network (Ontgroie), presented his views and latest research in an online panel discussion entitled “Towards a Degrowth Society” and hosted by Extinction Rebellion Netherlands.
The panel brought together four academics from Ontgroie with activists from Extinction Rebellion to discuss the meaning and relevance of degrowth for a sustainable, fair, resilient, regenerative and circular future.
Panellists shared their perspectives on the topics and discussed how a degrowth society can be brought about.
The ideas presented in the event were particularly relevant nowadays as the COVID-19 pandemic urges us to rethink and re-imagine our socio-ecological system.
In that regard, degrowth literature brings innovative ideas and solutions that can help decolonizing our growth-dependent economic imaginaries and opening up the door to a plurality of sustainable alternatives that put human and planetary well being at the centre.
The panel had a rich discussion on many topics related to circularity and degrowth including direct democracy, redistribution of power and wealth, global justice, the cooperative economy, climate change and planetary boundaries.
The recording can be found here: https://tube.rebellion.global/videos/watch/187db52f-be5d-40ac-80a6-94b835abb324
The four panelists from Ontgroei were:
Federico Savini, University of Amsterdam, Environmental Planning, Institutions and Politics
Miriam Meissner, University of Maastricht, Urban Studies
Crelis Rammelt, University of Amsterdam, Geography and International Development
Martin Calisto Friant, Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University.