Transcript Steady State Economics

An Introduction to
Economics as if the planet mattered
The Global Economy, Uppsala University
3rd December 2012
Outline
 Steady State Economy
 What is it?
 Why do we need it?
 How do we get there?
 How would it be?
 The Future of Work
 Why should we work less?
 Why don’t we?
 Options - technology, productivity and work
An Introduction to SSE
 A branch of Ecological Economics
 A vision without case studies
 Steady State Economics versus Degrowth
 Generally intended for the developed economies
The Definition
“An economy with constant stocks of people and
artefacts, maintained at some desired, sufficient levels
by low rates of maintenance ‘throughput’, that is, by
the lowest feasible flows of matter and energy from the
first stage of production to the last stage of
consumption.” (Daly)
An introduction to SSE…
 Basic Characteristics:
 A sustainable scale; then,
 A fair distribution; then,
 An efficient use of resources
 Focus on the ‘ends’, not the ‘means’
 It is about optimising quantity and maximising
quality rather than ‘optimising’ quality and
maximising quantity.
A Brief History
 Sir Thomas More (Utopia) – 1516
 Adam Smith (the Wealth of Nations) – 1776
 John Stuart Mill – ‘Of the Stationary State’ (Principles
of Political Economy) – 1848
 John Maynard Keynes – 1946
 Boulding, Schumacher, Georgescu-Roegen, Daly,
Jackson…
 CASSE, the first conference (2010)
Why do we need a change?
 What is wrong with more growth?
 Ecological arguments:
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Planetary boundaries (Rockström et al.)
Ecological footprint (GFN)
Ecosystem degradation (MEA)
Climate change (e.g. Jackson)
Peak Oil (e.g. Campbell)
 Social arguments:
 Growing inequality (the “rising tide…”?)
 Plateau in happiness and wellbeing
 Poverty and global justice
Ecological Economics and SD
£££
£
Resources
Waste
Waste
£
products
products
£££
Waste
Sustainable Scale
 3 rules for sustainability:
 Waste: Produce up to the limit that the biosphere can
safely absorb
 Renewable Resources: At or below maximum
sustainable yield
 Non-Renewable Resources: Deplete at a rate that
allows time for substitutes to be developed.
 Don’t allow economic activity to be uneconomic – i.e.
Uneconomic growth
“If it is argued that economic output is a good thing, it follows by
definition that there is not enough of it” (US gov’t 1971)
A Fair Distribution
 Everyone has access to a sufficient level of resources
 Redistribution in the short term, but better to prevent
excessive inequality in the first place (eg workplace
democracy, cooperatives, max. pay differentials)
“Growth is a substitute for equality of income. So long as
there is growth, there is hope, and that makes large
income differentials tolerable” (Wallich, 1972)
Efficient Use of Resources
 Important but not the top priority
 Efficiency does not guarantee:
 Long-term sustainability (the right scale)
 A fair distribution
 Only worth being efficient if the outcome is desirable
“a job not worth doing, is not worth doing well”
 Jevons paradox (macro-rebound effect)
Formulation of Efficiency
Focus on the ‘End-Goal’
 When we focus on growth, we are focusing on the
‘means’ (to a better life)
 Sustainable human wellbeing/quality of life (or
‘services’) –in the present and the future – should be
the focus for maximising
 Even a Steady State Economy is not an ‘end’. It is a
more likely ‘means’ to a higher goal
Summary of the Goals
Goal
1. Scale
Fields of Interest/Influence
Ethics informed by Science
2. Allocation
3. Efficiency
Justice assisted by Markets
Markets improved by Science
How do We get There?
 Herman Daly’s 10-point plan:
1. Cap-Auction-Trade (i.e. limit throughput)
2. Ecological tax reform
3. Limit inequality
4. Working-time reform
5. Re-regulate international commerce/trade
6. Downgrade IMF-WTO-WB
7. Monetary/banking reform
8. Reform models of ownership
9. Stabilize population
10. New indicators and national accounts
1. Limit Throughput
 Could be done through various mean, but a cap-
auction-trade system is preferred by Daly
 Cap on scarce non-renewable resources gradually
declines to promote substitution.
 Or, a tax on carbon (at source), with revenue refunded
across the whole population.
 Tradable quota systems can be implemented for
renewable resources at max. sustainable yield.
 Good system of reserves/conservation areas to ensure
ecological stability, margin of safety.
2. Ecological Tax Reform
 Currently, most tax revenue comes from ‘value-added’
eg income, corporate, Moms/VAT/GST.
 Need to shift taxes onto ‘that to which value is added’
i.e. the physical resources used in production.
 Cap-Auction-Trade system would generate large
revenues. Land rates could also be raised. Large
reduction in income tax to compensate price rises.
3. Limit Inequality
 Steps 1 and 2 will help.
 Maximum income as well as minimum incomes, or a
maximum ratio within businesses (say 20-1).
 Highly progressive income taxes another option.
 Redistribution is less preferable to a fairer distribution
in the first place.
 Low-unemployment, more democratic ownership can
also play a large role.
4. Working-time Reduction
 Essential for maintaining employment without
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growing consumption.
Employment is a human right (Article 23 UNDHR)
Unemployment should be considered as a market
failure
The labour market is not a ‘free market’
More flexibility, fewer hours
5. Re-regulate International
Commerce and Trade
 Free trade is not feasible under an SSE, at least until
the whole world prices externalities equally .
 Comparative Advantage theory only works when
capital resources are not mobile.
 Compensating tariffs on imports should be
implemented.
 To minimise capital mobility, use minimum residence
times for investment and institute a Tobin Tax.
6. Downgrade IMF/WTO/WB
 If free trade is not feasible, the institutions that
strongly promote it at present would need reform
 Downgrade and democratise them.
 WB – provide development support
 IMF – Facilitating international payments and
penalising countries that create instability through high
trade or budget deficits
 WTO – Regulating trade and capital mobility, as
discussed above, and settle trade disputes.
7. Monetary/Banking Reform
 Gradually raise reserve ratio while government
simultaneously spends money into the system.
 Move to 100% reserve requirement. Money supply
controlled by tax/spending policy – to be balanced.
Inflation could be kept near zero!
 Use variety of currencies – from global to local –
leading to greater resilience.
8. Reform Ownership
 Bring knowledge into public domain. Shorten
patent/copyright periods.
 Use public trusts for common resources – i.e. The
rights to log, mine, fish etc.
 Encourage community ownership to minimise
duplication – eg car-share, laundry/game/TV rooms
 More democratic, employee ownership of businesses,
with profits being more widely distributed
9. Stabilize Population
 Population growth roughly equal to unplanned
pregnancies each year (about 80 million)
 Focus on non-coercive means to eradicate population
growth. Such measures could include...
 Women’s rights – alternative opportunities
 Availability of family planning and contraception -
‘democratising contraception’
 Tax laws/incentives
 Tolerate homosexuality
 Improved welfare systems and old age pensions
 Transferable Birth Licences??
10. Measurement
 Alternatives – use a ‘dashboard’ approach
 GPI & ISEW – makes corrections to GDP
 Ecological Accounts – stocks , flows, (+ assets,
depreciation)
 HPI – Happiness (benefit)/Ecological Footprint (cost)
 GNH – Bhutan – a focus on the end-goal!
What would society be like?
 Additional topics to consider...
 Energy (more precious)
 Agriculture (more local)
 Businesses (more local)
 Advertising (more restricted)
 Technology (more resource efficient)
 Investment (more public)
 Governance (subsidiarity)
 Travel (slower)
Discussion/Summary
“Man has probably always worried about his environment
because he was once totally dependent on it”
 Economics is about ethics, justice and morality. It is far
from the ‘Dismal Science’ of Thomas Carlyle.
 ‘Science’ progresses in Paradigms. We are in one linked
to neo-classical economics. This will not last forever (or
perhaps much longer at all).
Choose a steady state lifestyle!
 Work as little as you can afford (but still hand in your
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GEK assignment 3!)
Avoid the banking system – JAK bank
Choose a small family (when the time comes)
Eat less meat and dairy (they are resource heavy!)
Don’t be wasteful – RRRR (efficient – more from less)
Keep learning, develop the vision and spread the word
– plenty of reading suggestions at CASSE
Read and sign the CASSE position!
More information
CASSE: www.steadystate.org
Email or find me at CEMUS;
[email protected]
”To those who sweat for their daily bread, leisure is a
longed-for sweet – until they get it”
- John Maynard Keynes (1931)