Fears, hopes, the end of an economic model and the green alternative

The author characterizes the current global crisis as the collapse of a 'liberal-productivist' model, which combined neoliberal deregulation with a productivist drive that ignored ecological limits. This model failed due to a combination of financial instability (a 'debt economy'), extreme revenue inequality, and a 'climate-energy crisis' where the demand for staple commodities like food and energy crowded out durable goods. The author argues that traditional Keynesian solutions are insufficient because they would accelerate climate change, while 'green-washing' ignores the social inequalities at the root of the crisis. A proposed 'Green Deal' would involve a global redistribution of productivity—prioritizing the reduction of labor time over material consumption—and a shift toward a labor-intensive technological paradigm focused on public transportation and care services. Financing this transition would require the 'monetization of debts' and the creation of new credit strictly oriented toward green investments. The author warns that without a coordinated, democratic transition, the world risks a repeat of the 1930s, where economic desperation led to the rise of fascism and Stalinism.

• The 'liberal-productivist' model of development, which prevailed from approximately 1980, is characterized by 'repressive taylorism', a 'trickle-down regime' dependent on a credit economy, and neoliberal deregulation.
• The 2008 crisis was not merely financial but was triggered by an ecological crisis where the demand for food and energy crowded out the demand for capitalist durable goods, leading to the insolvency of poor households.
• A 'Green Deal' must be both ecological and social, as the financial, social, and ecological dimensions of the crisis are 'tightly interwoven'.
• The author proposes a new regime of accumulation where productivity gains are distributed as increased free time rather than increased material consumption.
• Transitioning to a green economy in the EU could be highly job-creating; for example, reducing CO2 emissions by 30% by 2020 could increase employment by 10.5 million jobs, substituting labor for 'natural' inputs like energy.
• To finance the Green Deal without ruining the banking system, the author suggests a 'monetization of debts' where a portion of new money is frozen to limit inflation and another portion is dedicated to a green conversion fund.
• The document identifies a 'triangle of energetic risks' consisting of fossil energy (GHG and exhaustion), nuclear energy (accidents and waste), and biomass (land-use conflicts).
• The author warns that the lack of international coordination and the rise of 'populism' and 'nationalism' could lead the world toward authoritarianism, similar to the trajectory of the 1930s.

APA

Lipietz, A. (2012). Fears, hopes, the end of an economic model and the green alternative. Green European Journal. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/fears-hopes-the-end-of-an-economic-model-and-the-green-alternative/

Chicago

Lipietz, Alain. Fears, hopes, the end of an economic model and the green alternative. Green European Journal, 2012. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/fears-hopes-the-end-of-an-economic-model-and-the-green-alternative/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Lipietz |first1=Alain |title=Fears, hopes, the end of an economic model and the green alternative |publisher=Green European Journal |date=1 March 2012 |url=https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/fears-hopes-the-end-of-an-economic-model-and-the-green-alternative/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{lipietz2012fears, author = {Lipietz, Alain}, title = {{Fears, hopes, the end of an economic model and the green alternative}}, institution = {Green European Journal}, year = {2012}, month = mar, url = {https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/fears-hopes-the-end-of-an-economic-model-and-the-green-alternative/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }