Degrowth: a strategy to counter the crisis

The text advocates for degrowth to counter ecological collapse and social inequality, proposing a shift from GDP-driven growth to a model based on an Unconditional Autonomy Allowance (UAA). This UAA would provide non-monetary drawing rights on resources and local currencies rather than standard monetary allocations. The authors suggest three implementation scenarios: leveraging existing local alternatives, reducing working time to share labour, or establishing a basic income coupled with a Maximum Acceptable Income (MAI) and debt cancellation. The goal is to relocate production locally to make environmental and social externalities visible and to transition from 'recession by necessity' to 'degrowth by choice'.

• The authors argue that economic growth is a 'myth' that does not guarantee full employment, noting that GDP has grown over the last forty years while the unemployment rate has also increased.
• To achieve degrowth, the document proposes several systemic financial reforms: reclaiming the authority to issue money, nationalising the banking system partially or totally, banning tax havens, taxing financial transactions, and cancelling illegitimate debt repayments.
• The proposal includes a Maximum Acceptable Income (MAI) set at approximately four times the minimum income, contrasting with the current reality where maximum revenue can be 4,000 times the minimum.
• The Unconditional Autonomy Allowance (UAA) is proposed as a 'demonetised basic income' consisting primarily of drawing rights on resources and allowances in local currencies to ensure access to a 'decent and frugal life'.
• The document identifies a global disparity in resource use, stating that 20% of the global population has taken 87% of the world's natural resources.

APA

Liegey, V. (2013). Degrowth: a strategy to counter the crisis. Green European Journal. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/degrowth-a-strategy-to-counter-the-crisis/

Chicago

Liegey, Vincent. Degrowth: a strategy to counter the crisis. Green European Journal, 2013. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/degrowth-a-strategy-to-counter-the-crisis/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Liegey |first1=Vincent |title=Degrowth: a strategy to counter the crisis |publisher=Green European Journal |date=11 December 2013 |url=https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/degrowth-a-strategy-to-counter-the-crisis/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{liegey2013degrowth, author = {Liegey, Vincent}, title = {{Degrowth: a strategy to counter the crisis}}, publisher = {Green European Journal}, year = {2013}, month = dec, url = {https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/degrowth-a-strategy-to-counter-the-crisis/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }