A sufficiency vision for an ecologically constrained world

The author advocates for a 'sufficiency' paradigm to replace the pursuit of infinite economic growth, which is deemed incompatible with planetary boundaries. The text proposes a shift toward an economy where the Global North reduces its material and energy throughput to allow the global poor to meet their basic needs. Key policy mechanisms suggested include 'cap-and-rationing' systems for resources and carbon, a transition from labor-based to resource-based green taxation, and the implementation of maximum income ceilings to curb conspicuous consumption and speculation.

• The author asserts that it is impossible to decouple economic growth from the continuous depletion of natural resources, rendering growth an unsustainable method for poverty reduction.
• Sufficiency is defined as a strategy that imposes hard limits on overconsumption while prioritizing distributional justice to ensure all humans can flourish without destabilizing the biosphere.
• The principle of intragenerational equity requires wealthy households globally to reduce consumption to free up 'environmental space' for the poor. The text notes a stark disparity where the richest 10% are responsible for nearly half of lifestyle consumption emissions, while the poorest 50% account for approximately 10%.
• The 'contraction and convergence' model for resource use is criticized for ignoring 'ecological debt', which refers to the historical resource plundering and waste dumping by Northern industrialized countries in the Global South.
• A proposed 'cap-and-rationing' system would involve setting a hard biophysical limit on resource or waste disposal and distributing per capita quotas. For carbon, this would take the form of a 'personal carbon allowance' based on a national carbon budget.
• To maintain state revenue in a post-growth economy, the author proposes shifting the tax base from labor and 'value added' to the natural resources 'to which value is added'. This includes using a 'progressive VAT' to discourage 'positional consumption' of luxury goods.
• The document proposes implementing a maximum income—either as a ratio of the minimum wage or through a 100% top tax bracket—to eliminate incentives for excessive earnings and reduce financial speculation.

APA

Mastini, R. (2018). A sufficiency vision for an ecologically constrained world. Green European Journal. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/a-sufficiency-vision-for-an-ecologically-constrained-world/

Chicago

Mastini, Riccardo. A sufficiency vision for an ecologically constrained world. Green European Journal, 2018. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/a-sufficiency-vision-for-an-ecologically-constrained-world/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Mastini |first1=Riccardo |title=A sufficiency vision for an ecologically constrained world |publisher=Green European Journal |date=3 August 2018 |url=https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/a-sufficiency-vision-for-an-ecologically-constrained-world/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{mastini2018sufficiency, author = {Mastini, Riccardo}, title = {{A sufficiency vision for an ecologically constrained world}}, publisher = {Green European Journal}, year = {2018}, month = aug, url = {https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/a-sufficiency-vision-for-an-ecologically-constrained-world/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }