PRICED OUT THE COST OF LIVING IN A DISRUPTED WORLD

The document examines the 'polycrisis' affecting Europe, where the cost of living crisis is driven by a combination of the pandemic, Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and long-term neoliberal policies. It analyzes the disproportionate impact on young people, women, and the elderly, while exploring systemic failures in energy, housing, and food systems. The authors advocate for 'energy sobriety', the re-municipalisation of water, the expansion of social housing, and the revitalization of trade unions as essential steps toward a Green New Deal that ensures social justice and ecological sustainability.

• The energy crisis pre-dated the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with key turning points occurring in 2019 due to a fall in oil production and in 2021 due to increased gas demand from China.
• Inflation in Europe is driven by a dependence on globalisation, pandemic-related supply chain disruptions, and financial speculation rather than wage growth.
• EU fiscal rules, specifically the Maastricht criteria limiting deficits to 3% and debt to 60% of GDP, have historically undermined investment in climate protection and lowered household incomes.
• Housing in Europe has become increasingly commodified since 2008, with rents increasing by 16% and prices by 42% since 2010.
• The global food system's reliance on market-driven specialisation has created artificial scarcity, where 57% of wheat production is used for livestock and 20% for bioethanol.
• Trade union membership in the EU has decreased by roughly 15% since 2010, with more severe declines in Romania (over 37%) and Greece, weakening the ability of workers to protect living standards.
• Young people in Italy face extreme precarity, with 11% of those aged 18-34 in absolute poverty as of 2021 and a high reliance on fixed-term contracts.

APA

Green European Journal (2022). PRICED OUT THE COST OF LIVING IN A DISRUPTED WORLD. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/GEJ24_web.pdf

Chicago

Green European Journal. PRICED OUT THE COST OF LIVING IN A DISRUPTED WORLD. 2022. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/GEJ24_web.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Green European Journal |title=PRICED OUT THE COST OF LIVING IN A DISRUPTED WORLD |date=2022 |url=https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/GEJ24_web.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{greeneuropeanjournal2022priced, author = {{Green European Journal}}, title = {{PRICED OUT THE COST OF LIVING IN A DISRUPTED WORLD}}, institution = {Green European Journal}, year = {2022}, url = {https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/GEJ24_web.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }