Abstract:

A transformation to overcome the present ecological and socio-economic crises must go hand in hand with questioning the paradigm of economic growth and with altering the growth dependencies of various spheres of society. This assumption is based on ecological, economic and societal arguments that a major reason for the present crises is growth dependency. The pursuit of growth policies by politicians and public figures is to avoid potential conflict or disruption that no- or low-growth might bring. In this article we briefly review the economic growth of the last few decades. We will describe which spheres of society are dependent on growth and why. Finally, we will set out starting points on the path to growth independence.