Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Identifying an Emerging Paradigm: Towards Ecosocialism?

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
The Political Economy of the Low-Carbon Transition

Part of the book series: International Political Economy Series ((IPES))

Abstract

This chapter assembles evidence that a new paradigm is emerging in the niches and margins of the dominant system, offering examples of a post-carbon society and what we need to get there. It outlines debates on a degrowth economy and society, and how feasible it is. The following section examines the structural nature of socioeconomic inequality and how to reduce it before mapping out an ‘economy for the common good’, based on different social values and more democratic governance. Key principles finding expression in the emerging alternative are traced back to the utopian socialists of the nineteenth century. For this reason, it is being given the name of ‘ecosocialism’ by some analysts. The chapter ends with a scorecard assessing potential future outcomes from climate capitalism and ecosocialism.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 99.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 129.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 129.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Adaman, Fikret, Pat Devine, and Begum Ozkaynak. 2007. Reinstituting the Economic Process: (Re)embedding the Economy in Society and Nature. In Karl Polanyi: New Perspectives on the Place of the Economy in Society, ed. Mark Harvey, Ronnie Ramlogan, and Sally Randles, 93–112. Manchester: Manchester University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Alexander, Samuel. 2017. Frugal Abundance in an Age of Limits: Envisioning a Degrowth Economy. In Transitioning to a Post-Carbon Society: Degrowth, Austerity and Wellbeing, ed. Ernest Garcia, Mercedes Martinez-Iglesias, and Peadar Kirby, 157–177. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Anand, S., and A. Sen. 2000. Human Development and Economic Sustainability. World Development 28 (12): 2029–2049.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Atkinson, Anthony B. 2015. Inequality: What can be Done? Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Burkett, Paul. 2006. Two Stages of Ecosocialism? Implications of Some Neglected Analyses of Ecological Conflict and Crisis. International Journal of Political Economy 35 (3): 23–45.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carrington, Damian. 2016a. Fossil Fuel Divestment Soars in UK Universities. The Guardian, 22 November 2016.

    Google Scholar 

  • ———. 2016b. Fossil Fuel Divestment Funds Double to $5tr in a Year. The Guardian, 12 December 2016.

    Google Scholar 

  • Daly, Herman E. 1996. Beyond Growth: The Economics of Sustainable Development. Boston: Beacon Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • De Schutter, Olivier. 2014. The EU’s Fifth Project: Transitional Governance in the Service of Sustainable Societies. Accessed 19 February 2015. http://www.srfood.org/images/stories/pdf/otherdocuments/Framing4.pdf

  • Dietz, Rob, and Dan O’Neill. 2013. Enough is Enough: Building a Sustainable Economy in a World of Finite Resources. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • EESC. 2016. The Circular Economy Package. Position Paper, June 2016. Brussels: European Economic and Social Committee.

    Google Scholar 

  • Felber, Christian. 2015. Change Everything: Creating an Economy for the Common Good. London: Zed Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Flipo, Fabrice, and François Schneider. 2015. Foreword. In Degrowth: A Vocabulary for a New Era, ed. Giacomo D’Alisa, Federico Demaria, and Giorgos Kallis, xxiii–xxxvi. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Galbraith, James K. 2016. Inequality: What Everyone needs to Know. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gonick, Cy. 2010. Exploring Ecosocialism as a System of Thought. Canadian Dimension 44 (5): 36–42.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hawking, Stephen. 2016. This is the Most Dangerous Time for Our Planet. The Guardian, 1 December 2016.

    Google Scholar 

  • Honneth, Alex. 2017. The Idea of Socialism. Cambridge: Polity.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jackson, Tim. 2009. Prosperity without Growth: Economics for a Finite Planet. London: Earthscan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jakob, M., and O. Edenhofer. 2015. Welfare with or without Growth? Do We Need to Reduce Economic Activity to Protect the Environment and Increase the Quality of Life? GAIA 24 (4): 240–242.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kallis, Giorgos, Federico Demaria, and Giacomo D’Alisa. 2015. Introduction: Degrowth. In Degrowth: A Vocabulary for a New Era, ed. Giacomo D’Alisa, Federico Demaria, and Giorgos Kallis, 1–17. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kirby, Peadar. 2013. Towards a Post-Carbon Society: Climate Capitalism or Ecological Socialism? Arxius 29: 53–66.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kovel, Joel. 2007. The Enemy of Nature: The End of Capitalism or the End of the World? London: Zed Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Latouche, Serge. 2009. Farewell to Growth. Cambridge: Polity.

    Google Scholar 

  • ———. 2011. Vers une société d’abondance frugale. Paris: Fayard.

    Google Scholar 

  • Löwy, Michael. 2005. What is Ecosocialism? Capitalism Nature Socialism 16 (2): 15–24.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • ———. 2011. Ecosocialismo: La alternativa radical a la catastrophe ecológica capitalista. Buenos Aires: El Colectivo and Herramienta.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mason, Paul. 2015. PostCapitalism: A Guide to Our Future. London: Allen Lane.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mill, John Stuart. 1970. Principles of Political Economy. London: Penguin. [original edition: 1848].

    Google Scholar 

  • Moore, Oliver. 2012. Arguing a Case for Organic Farming, with an Emphasis on Biodiversity. Unpublished Paper. Cork: Centre for Co-operative Studies, UCC.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morita, T., and J. Robinson. 2001. Greenhouse Gas Emission Mitigation Scenarios and Implications. In Climate Change 2001: Mitigation, ed. B. Metz, O. Davidson, R. Swart, and J. Pan. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oxfam. 2017. An Economy for the 99%. Oxfam Briefing Paper. Oxford: Oxfam UK for Oxfam International.

    Google Scholar 

  • Piketty, Thomas. 2014. Capital in the Twenty-First Century. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • ———. 2016. We Must Rethink Globalization, or Trumpism will Prevail. The Guardian, 16 November 2016.

    Google Scholar 

  • Polanyi Levitt, Kari. 2013. From the Great Transformation to the Great Financialization. London: Zed Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pope Francis. 2015. Laudato Si: On Care for our Common Home. Vatican City: Vatican Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Raskin, P., C. Electris, and R.A. Rosen. 2010. The Century Ahead: Searching for Sustainability. Sustainability 2: 2626–2651. doi:10.3390/su2082626.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Richardson, H.S., Erik Schokkaert, Stefano Bartolini, Geoffrey Brennan, Paula Casal, Matthew Clayton, Rahel Jaeggi, et al. 2016. Social Progress: A Compass. International Report on Social Progress. Chapter 2 Draft for Comment. Accessed 5 January 2017. https://comment.ipsp.org/chapter/chapter-2-social-progress-compass

  • Sachs, J. 2016. Happiness and Sustainable Development: Concepts and Evidence. In World Happiness Report 2016, Update, ed. J. Helliwell, R. Layard, and J. Sachs, vol. I. New York: Sustainable Development Solutions Network.

    Google Scholar 

  • Santiago Muíño, Emilio. 2016. Rutas sin mapa: Horizontes de transición ecosocial. Madrid: Catarata.

    Google Scholar 

  • Serra, Maria Josep. 2015. Ribó: “Compromís y Podemos puede ser el primer partido de España”. El País, 19 July 2015.

    Google Scholar 

  • Seyfang, Gill. 2011. The New Economics of Sustainable Consumption: Seeds of Change. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shiva, Vandana. 2016. Soil, Not Oil: Climate Change, Peak Oil and Food Insecurity. London: Zed Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Skidelsky, Robert, and Edward Skidelsky. 2013. How Much is Enough? Money and the Good Life. London: Penguin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stiglitz, Joseph. 2013. The Price of Inequality. London: Penguin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Streeck, Wolfgang. 2016. How Will Capitalism End? Essays on a Failing System. London: Verso.

    Google Scholar 

  • Taibo, Carlos. 2016. Colapso: Capitalismo terminal, transición ecosocial, ecofascismo. Madrid: Catarata.

    Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, Keith. 1982. The Political Ideas of the Utopian Socialists. London: Frank Cass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Third International Ecosocialist Conference. 2016. Final Manifesto. Accessed 10 January 2017. http://alterecosoc.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/manifiesto-inglesez.pdf

  • Toivanen, Tero. 2015. Commons Against Capitalism. In The Politics of Ecosocialism: Transforming Welfare, ed. Kajsa Borgnäs, Teppo Eskelinen, Johanna Perkiö, and Rikard Warlenius, 116–134. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilkinson, Richard, and Kate Pickett. 2009. The Spirit Level: Why More Equal Societies Almost Always Do Better. London: Allen Lane.

    Google Scholar 

  • World Bank. 2015. Decarbonizing Development: Three Steps to a Zero-Carbon Future. Washington, DC: World Bank.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Wright, Erik Olin. 2013. Transforming Capitalism through Real Utopias. American Sociological Review 78 (1): 1–25.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Politics and Public Administration, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland

    Peadar Kirby

  2. Finland Futures Research Centre, Turku School of Economics University of Turku, Tampere, Finland

    Tadhg O’Mahony

Authors
  1. Peadar Kirby
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Tadhg O’Mahony
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 The Author(s)

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Kirby, P., O’Mahony, T. (2018). Identifying an Emerging Paradigm: Towards Ecosocialism?. In: The Political Economy of the Low-Carbon Transition. International Political Economy Series. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-62554-6_9

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation