Post-Growth Project

The Green House Post-Growth project aimed to challenge the common-sense that assumes that it is ‘bad news’ when the economy doesn’t grow and to anatomise what it is about the structure of our economic system that means growth must always be prioritised. We wanted to set out an attractive, attainable vision of what one country would look like, once we deliberately gave up growth-mania – and of how to get there. This project also looked at finding ways of communicating this to people that make sense, and that motivate change.



Project Publications


Prashant Vaze

Post Growth: Life After Capitalism

Life After Capitalism answers the question: what should be society’s focus if we shake off our obsession with GDP growth? It draws on Jackson’s recent role as director of the inter-disciplinary Centre for the Understanding Sustainable Prosperity and plucks ideas from many disciplines



Green House Think Tank

'Development without Growth?'

At this IDS lunchtime seminar, Jonathan Essex, Tom Lines and Ray Cunningham outlined Green House's 'Post-Growth Project'



Green House Think Tank

Britain in a post-growth world

Jonathan Essex and Ray Cunningham disuses Green House's Post-Growth project at this event at the University of Sussex



Green House Think Tank

Post Growth Project: the Regional Dimension

Panel discussion and public debate on the Post Growth Project: the Regional Dimension took place at Aston University



Maya de Souza

Tackling our Housing Crisis: why building more houses will not solve the problem

This report challenges the conventional policy wisdom of ‘just build more homes.’ It argues that the most significant cause of the affordability problem is not shortage of supply but a high level of inequality combined with a dysfunctional financial system.



Green House Think Tank

'The Post Growth Project' Book launches and debates

This event was held for the book launch of 'The Post-Growth Project: How the End of Economic Growth Could Bring a Fairer and Happier Society' published in 2014.



John Blewitt

The Post-Growth Project: How the End of Economic Growth Could Bring a Fairer and Happier Society

This book challenges the assumption that it is bad news when the economy doesn’t grow.



Green House Think Tank

The Politics of Post-Growth: Report launch and debate

This event launched Green House's Andrew Dobson's report 'The Politics of Post-Growth',



Rupert Read

Post-growth Common sense: Political Communications for the Future

How should we describe the post-growth economy? Where is the term or frame that we are looking for? That was the central appointed task of this report.



Molly Scott Cato

Can't Pay, Won't Pay: Debt, the Myth of Austerity and the Failure of Green Investment

There is a false consensus around austerity, which prevents investment into supporting a sustainable economy. This report proposes establishing a Citizen's Audit to explore debt, its consequences and alternatives to repayment.



Andrew Dobson

The Politics of Post-Growth

A post-growth world is inevitable. More technically, there is no evidence for the possibility of the absolute decoupling of economic growth and environmental degradation. The question is: will the post-growth world be unplanned or planned, catastrophic or benign?



Jonathan Essex

How to Make Do and Mend our Economy

This report is about how ‘building’ a post-growth future cannot take for granted building in the literal sense: building comes at a huge ecological cost and tends to drive up consumption in all other areas.



Alex Warleigh-Lack

Greening the EU

Is the EU just for capitalists? Can it really help in the transition to a sustainable way of life? Warleigh-Lack concludes with 5 suggested priorities for Green politicians within the EU



Brian Heatley

Smaller but Better: Post-Growth Public Services

In this report Andrew Pearmain and Brian Heatley argue for a distinctively Green approach to public services which goes beyond simple opposition to austerity.



Molly Scott Cato

The Paradox of Green Keynesianism

The persistent economic recession and the need for a transition to green infrastructure and industrial systems has led many environmentalists to call for a form of Green Keynesianism. But how can this co-exist with the fundamental commitment amongst green economists to an end to economic growth?