Welcome

Welcome to the website of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Limits to Growth—a platform for cross-party collaboration  on shared and lasting prosperity in a world of environmental, social and economic limits. Our aims are: to create the space for cross-party exploration on environmental, social and economic limits to growth; to assess the evidence for such limits, identify the risks and build support for appropriate responses; and to contribute to the international debate on ‘redefining prosperity’.

We regularly commission briefings and reports. For a list of publications to date, please see the publications page. For updates on our policy debates with invited experts, please see the events page.

Wellbeing Matters—Tackling growth dependency | Briefing Paper

Economists have known for more than eighty years that the GDP is not a good measure of social progress. Yet, for the most part, UK policy still proceeds as though growth in GDP is the most important determinant of political and economic success. In the context of declining growth rates across the advanced economies and the need to tackle urgent challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss and social inequality, this strategy is at best short-sighted and at worst disastrous both for societal wellbeing and for long-term sustainability. This policy briefing highlights some alternatives to the conventional approach. It presents a three-fold strategy for moving beyond GDP.

Latest Updates

APPG on Limits to Growth | Newsletter, July 2023

APPG on Limits to Growth | Newsletter, July 2023

Welcome to the Summer 2023 edition of the APPG on Limits to Growth Newsletter, where we summarise the APPG’s recent activities and highlight some of the latest developments in postgrowth thinking and policymaking, in the UK and internationally.

NHS and Innovation in the Health Service | Natalie Bennett reflecting on persistent growth fixation in Lords debate

NHS and Innovation in the Health Service | Natalie Bennett reflecting on persistent growth fixation in Lords debate

On Thursday 15 June, members of the Lords debated the current performance of the NHS and innovation in the health service. The government is fixated on “growing the economy” and generating profits, instead of social innovation to deliver health, and other goods, for people. APPG member Natalie Bennett reflected on this as a speaker in the debate.

First Wellbeing Economy Forum hosted by Government of Iceland

First Wellbeing Economy Forum hosted by Government of Iceland

In June this year, Iceland’s Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdóttir hosted the first Wellbeing Economy Forum in Reykjavík to discuss the interconnections between wellbeing and sustainability. The Forum included discussants from politics, science and civil society.

Financial Services and Markets Bill | Reasoned amendment objecting to 2nd Reading in Parliament

Financial Services and Markets Bill | Reasoned amendment objecting to 2nd Reading in Parliament

APPG members tabling ‘reasoned amendment’ to prevent the UK Government’s Financial Services and Markets Bill from passing its second reading; on the basis that it creates a renewed “objective to promote growth and competitiveness, rather than making the creation of a wellbeing economy designed to foster long-term economic resilience and prosperity its overarching objective”.

APPG on Limits to Growth | Newsletter, March 2022

APPG on Limits to Growth | Newsletter, March 2022

In this edition of the newsletter, we report on the APPG’s recent activities on finanical practices in the adult social care sector, an EAC oral evidence session on aligning the UK’s economic goals with environmental sustainability, the latest on the Wellbeing of Future Generations Bill and a review briefing of the Government’s outcome delivery plans.

Targeting Sustainability—A review of the UK Government’s outcome delivery plans | Briefing Paper

Targeting Sustainability—A review of the UK Government’s outcome delivery plans | Briefing Paper

In July 2021 the UK Government introduced a new system of outcome delivery plans (ODPs), designed to improve its focus on the delivery of key national priorities. This briefing examines this initial collection of ODPs, and holds it up to the findings of previous research on good practice—especially relating to the environment and wellbeing (sustainable prosperity) agenda.

Tackling predatory financial practices in the adult social care sector | Briefing note for Health and Care Bill Committee stage amendments 237, 238 and 239

Tackling predatory financial practices in the adult social care sector | Briefing note for Health and Care Bill Committee stage amendments 237, 238 and 239

This briefing note covers Health and Care Bill Committee stage amendments 237, 238 and 239. They seek to address the use of predatory financial practices by private sector firms operating in the adult social care sector. They have been tabled by Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle and were discussed on 4 February 2022.

APPG on Limits to Growth | Newsletter, December 2021

APPG on Limits to Growth | Newsletter, December 2021

This newsletter reports on a recent event at which the APPG on Limits to Growth (jointly with the APPG on the Green New Deal) launched a new briefing on finance and public debt in the context of the levelling-up agenda and vital climate goals. We highlight the APPG’s latest activities, and latest developments in postgrowth thinking and policymaking, in the UK and internationally.

Predatory financial practices and the adult social care sector | Early Day Motion #767

Predatory financial practices and the adult social care sector | Early Day Motion #767

APPG vice chair Clive Lewis MP tabled an Early Day Motion (EDM) to call on the Government to address the predatory financial practices as exposed in the recent BBC Panorama reportage ‘Crisis in Care: Follow the Money’ by amending the Health and Care Bill to prevent financial assistance being mis-used. Co-sponsors of the motion are Caroline Lucas, Dan Carden, Kate Hollern, Kim Johnson and Jim Shannon.

Tackling predatory financial practices in the adult social care sector | Briefing note for second reading of the Health and Care Bill

Tackling predatory financial practices in the adult social care sector | Briefing note for second reading of the Health and Care Bill

The Health and Care Bill has its second reading in the House of Lords on Tuesday 7 December. Coinciding with a new Panorama investigation, Crisis in Care: Follow the Money, this briefing proposes three ways in which the Health and Care Bill should be amended to tackle the harmful impacts of financialisation in the care home sector.

Beyond the Debt Controversy—Fiscal and monetary policy for the post-pandemic era | Briefing Paper

Beyond the Debt Controversy—Fiscal and monetary policy for the post-pandemic era | Briefing Paper

In the years since the financial crisis, a heated debate has broken out amongst macroeconomists about the appropriate roles of fiscal and monetary policy in managing public sector debt. This briefing introduces the main lines of argument on both sides of the controversy. It finds i.a. that a return to fiscal austeritywould be both dangerous and unjustified and that moving beyond ideology is key to the levelling-up agenda.

APPG on Limits to Growth | Newsletter, August 2021

APPG on Limits to Growth | Newsletter, August 2021

This newsletter reports on the success of an event on 13 July, at which the APPG launched a new policy briefing on overcoming growth dependency in adult social care. It also highlights the APPG’s latest activities and plans, and rounds up the latest developments in postgrowth thinking and policymaking, in the UK and internationally.

Placing sustainable prosperity at the heart of the economic recovery – a new Beveridge report | Letter to Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove

Placing sustainable prosperity at the heart of the economic recovery – a new Beveridge report | Letter to Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove

The APPG has written to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office the Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, to set out recommendations to the Cabinet Office for commissioning a new Beveridge report, to research and consult the public on the innovations required to ensure public policy is fit to address the UK’s most important needs for the twenty-first century.

Tackling growth dependency—the case of adult social care | Briefing Paper

Tackling growth dependency—the case of adult social care | Briefing Paper

On 13 July 2021, the APPG on Limits to Growth launched the fourth briefing in our policy paper series, which provides a framework for identifying, analysing and transforming growth dependencies in the welfare state. Using adult social care as our case study, we explore how growing demand, rising costs and rent seeking can create growth dependencies, and how to tackle them.

APPG on Limits to Growth Newsletter, June 2021

APPG on Limits to Growth Newsletter, June 2021

Welcome to the June 2021 edition of the APPG on Limits to Growth Newsletter. This is the first newsletter since the 2021 AGM and re-election of officers. The edition contains details of an upcoming policy briefing, additional funding for the APPG, the publication of three high profile reports and a roundup of events, news and comment on postgrowth issues, including Post Growth the new book by Professor Tim Jackson.

Tackling growth dependency in the welfare system—The case of adult social care | APPG meeting, 13 July 2021

Tackling growth dependency in the welfare system—The case of adult social care | APPG meeting, 13 July 2021

Join us for the launch of a new policy briefing on overcoming the growth dependency in the welfare system. Drawing on in-depth interviews with economists, policymakers and practitioners in social care and other parts of the welfare system, we will discuss a new paper in our An Economy That Works series for parliamentarians , looking specifically at adult social care.

Budget 2021: Five priorities for a green and fair economic recovery | APPG letter to the Chancellor, 1 Mar 2021

Budget 2021: Five priorities for a green and fair economic recovery | APPG letter to the Chancellor, 1 Mar 2021

MPs and peers from two all-party parliamentary groups have written to the Chancellor urging him to use the 2021 Spring Budget to build a green and fair economic recovery post Covid. As the last Budget before the UN climate summit (COP26), the Budget will be a litmus test of the UK’s climate leadership, says the letter, and must deliver action on climate and nature.

A budget for a green recovery: A special session of the APPG on the Green New Deal and the APPG on Limits to Growth  | 24 Feb 2021, 9am

A budget for a green recovery: A special session of the APPG on the Green New Deal and the APPG on Limits to Growth  | 24 Feb 2021, 9am

This special meeting, co-hosted by the APPG on the Green New Deal and the APPG on Limits to Growth, ahead of the budget on 3rd March will explore a range of the options available to the Chancellor from government borrowing while interest rates are low, to redirecting de-facto subsidies in fossil fuels to a wealth tax and a new green home for the nation’s savings.

Gross Domestic Wellbeing | Early Day Motion #1235

Gross Domestic Wellbeing | Early Day Motion #1235

APPG chair Caroline Lucas MP tabling EDM—calling on the House of Commons to welcome the recent work on Gross Domestic Wellbeing by the Carnegie Trust, the aim of developing holistic approaches to understanding and measuring progress that focus on people’s wellbeing, rather than GDP growth; and to put this agenda at the heart of all policy making, including budgets, as part of ‘Building Back Better’.

A post-growth recovery? | APPG letter to the Chancellor, 7 July 2020

A post-growth recovery? | APPG letter to the Chancellor, 7 July 2020

The APPG on Limits to Growth has written to the Chancellor Rishi Sunak urging him to prioritise wellbeing if his plans to rebuild the economy after Covid are to lead to a green recovery. Green jobs and funding for traineeships expected to be announced by the Chancellor are welcome, but a truly green recovery means pivoting to an economy where the measures of success are public health, personal and social wellbeing and the health of the natural environment rather than GDP growth statistics.

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