Degrowth sustainable

With this contribution, which continues and deepens the dialogue between critical realism and degrowth that we initiated elsewhere (Buch-Hansen and Nesterova, 2021; Nesterova, 2021), we have sought to conceptualise degrowth in a comprehensive and non-reductionist manner. This conceptualisation entails that degrowth is understood to involve deep transformations on each of the four interrelated planes of social being identified by Bhaskar (1986, 1993): [a] material trans- actions with nature, [b] social interactions between persons, [c] social structure, and [d] peoples' inner being. On each plane, these trans- formations consist in reducing, and ultimately absenting, some currently existing items while expanding others. On plane [a], degrowth involves less matter and energy throughput and more clean energy forms and behaviour premised on regard for planetary boundaries, biodiversity and non-human beings. On plane [b], degrowth entails social in- teractions based less on, for example, individualism, intolerance, and myths and more on empathy, tolerance of diversity and concern for others. On plane [c], degrowth implies transforming social structures so that economies and societies come to have less competition and in- equalities, fewer hierarchies, and a decreasingly prominent growth imperative; and more collaborative relations and flat hierarchies com- bined with a more equal distribution of resources. Finally, on plane [d], degrowth would require most people to self-transform, becoming less egoistic, possessive, and materialistic and more reflexive, gentle, mindful and capable of seeing themselves as part of the broader existence. Three aspects of the conceptualisation we have developed in this paper are worth highlighting. Firstly, in thinking about the planes, it is important to recognise diversity on each of them. One aspect of this is that degrowth living can assume many forms. For example, they can range from living in convivial communities to pursuing a solitary mode of being. Another aspect is that degrowth transformations can only materialise through the combined actions of people positioned in different sites (civil society, businesses and state apparatuses) and on various scales (local, national, transnational). Secondly, the interrelat- edness of the planes is crucial to take into consideration when theorising and practising degrowth. For example, when designing (mixes of) specific eco-social policies, it is vital to keep in mind that they will have effects on all four planes, and that positive effects on one plane do not necessarily translate into positive effects on all. Thirdly, we propose gentleness and care as the underlying principles that can guide trans- formations across the various planes. Further to this, we conceptualise degrowth as deep transformations occurring on all four interrelated planes of social being, on different scales and in all sites, guided by gentleness and care, towards a society co-existing harmoniously within itself and with nature. Understood in these terms, far from being an outcome that can be caused by a singular mechanism, degrowth can only be caused by a variety of mechanisms working in concert. Such mechanisms range from democratically adopted top-down eco-social policies to bottom-up civil society and business initiatives. For such mechanisms to be activated on a sufficient scale, deep change at the level of the individual is necessary. That is, both a sustained practice of degrowth and consent to top-down policies require people in large numbers to come to think that degrowth is desirable.