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.
This event marks the campaign launch for a new parliamentary petition, calling on the Government to shift to a Wellbeing Economy. Co-hosted with the Wellbeing Economy Alliance and Wellbeing Economics Brighton, the event is chaired by Caroline Lucas. Speakers include Laura Sharples and Katherine Trebeck, Clive Lewis and Beth Straford.
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.
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’.
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.
Set out to engage MPs across the political spectrum, the online discussion was chaired by Krishnan Guru-Murthy (Channel 4), and expertly deliberated on the prospects for a socially and environmentally just economic recovery—which takes into account not only the need to prevent the worst of climate breakdown, but does so in a way that sustainably strengthens the wellbeing of people.
One of the assignments of our APPG is to challenge Parliament—and the Government—to evaluate their assumptions about the limits to economic growth. In that vein, the chair of the APPG, Caroline Lucas MP, recently submitted a written question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
Back in late February 2020, when COVID-19 was only a looming wave of uncertain size and impact, Baroness Natalie Bennett put down an oral question in the House of Lords, scheduled to be debated on March 26: “To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to establish a formal inquiry into reducing the growth dependency of the United Kingdom economy”.
On 24 March 2020, through a ten minute rule motion—backed by MPs from every major party—APPG chair Caroline Lucas MP introduced the “Wellbeing of Future Generations Bill” to the House of Commons.
Baroness Claire Tyler has secured a debate in the House of Lords on the case for the government to use wellbeing as a key indicator of national performance when setting budgets, deciding policy priorities and reviewing the effectiveness of policy goals. The debate is scheduled for 12 March 2020.
This policy briefing highlights some alternatives to the conventional approach to measuring social progress. It presents a three-fold strategy for moving beyond GDP by: changing the way we measure success; building a consistent policy framework for a ‘wellbeing economy’; and addressing the ‘growth dependency’ of the economy.
Following the 2019 general election, the APPG on Limits to Growth held its Reconstitution and Annual General Meeting on 26 February 2020, 9am in Portcullis House; accompanied by a policy workshop on the Wellbeing Economy.
APPG chair Caroline Lucas MP tabling EDM—calling on the House of Commons to welcome the formal opinion on a sustainable and inclusive wellbeing economy, adopted by the European Economic and Social Committee on 24 January 2020; and on HM Treasury in particular to at least match the ambition and leadership shown by the EESC.
The European Economic and Social Committee overwhelmingly adopted a position paper on the sustainable and inclusive ‘wellbeing economy’ that Europe needs. A call on the EU ‘for a new vision of prosperity’, highlighting that building the wellbeing economy must start by adopting ‘a precautionary approach in which social stability does not depend on GDP growth’ and proposed the development of new indicators of economic performance and social progress.
Under the title Is Growth an Illusion?, Deutsche Bank hosted an event programme in Davos, accompanying the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum; to discuss the future of growth with leading politicians and internationally renowned experts from various fields. CUSP director Tim Jackson joined Deutsche US Chief Executive Christiana Riley and co-panellist Andrew McAfee.
APPG members Lord Bird and Caroline Lucas MP launching campaign—Today for Tomorrow—to call for new legislation that tackles short-term thinking, and focuses on Britain’s well-being.
APPG chairs Caroline Lucas MP and Clive Lewis MP launching full version of a Green New Deal bill, which sets out a transformative programme driven by the principles of justice and equity.
APPG chair Caroline Lucas tabling EDM, calling on Govt to show leadership in acknowledging and developing alternatives to consumption-based economics.
Caroline Lucas, co-chair of the APPG on Limits to Growth has secured a debate to challenge HM Treasury over the inherent tension between our current economic model—dependent on relentless economic growth—and environmental limits.
Scientists, politicians, and policymakers gathering in Brussels for landmark conference: Hosted at the EU parliament, the multi-stakeholder event is exploring visions and solutions for a post-growth economy in Europe.