Welcome to Tim Jackson’s website. This site is a source of news and information about Tim’s work both as ecological economist and as radio dramatist. It is updated regularly and offers links to his talks, publications and radio plays.

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Post Growth—Life After Capitalism
Flat Lay Adler Typewriter (CC.0) Florian Klauer / Unsplash.com
R E S E A R C H

What can prosperity possibly mean in a world of environmental and social limits?—This question has guided Tim Jackson’s research for over thirty years. Rejecting the simplistic idea that more is always better, and that economic growth is an infallible route to the ‘good life’, Tim has always been fascinated by a much broader vision of a shared and lasting prosperity, in which people have the potential to flourish as human beings, without increasingly damaging the finite planet we share with other species, and on which we depend for a home. You can browse some of Tim’s academic work below.

N e w s
Growth and climate | French Ministry of Economy and Finance conference with Tim Jackson
December 7, 2023

Growth and climate | French Ministry of Economy and Finance conference with Tim Jackson

The French Ministry of Economy and Finance hosted a conference on 5 December to discuss the trade-offs between emission reduction policies and economic prosperity. Hosted by Minister Bruno Le Maire, speakers of the day included CUSP director Tim Jackson, Sandrine Dixson-Declève, Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas, and Bill Gates.
Audiobook | Post Growth—Life After Capitalism, narrated by Tim Jackson
November 30, 2023

Audiobook | Post Growth—Life After Capitalism, narrated by Tim Jackson

We are pleased to announce the release of the audiobook edition of Tim Jackson’s prize-winning “Post Growth—Life After Capitalism”. Through his own narration, Tim brings a personal touch to the profound themes of Post Growth, offering an accessible and engaging experience for audiences to absorb his insights on the go.
Neoliberalism and its Discontents: Is Ecological Economics the Answer
October 25, 2023

Neoliberalism and its Discontents: Is Ecological Economics the Answer

Hosted by the former Mayor of Toronto, David Miller, this Cities 1.5 podcast with Tim Jackson is looking to translate the theoretical into the practical, by discussing what cities can do to deliver shared prosperity—not just an unsustainable goal of infinite growth.
Blame Capitalism: Degrowing Pains | Vox.com podcast
October 3, 2023

Blame Capitalism: Degrowing Pains | Vox.com podcast

#TodayExplained Podcast with Tim Jackson investigating the ailing capitalist model, and ‘why the degrowth movement is having a moment’. Tim recently joined Noel King for her vox.com series on ‘Blame Capitalism’ to discuss the subject, and the emerging relevance of postgrowth economics and policy making.
Rishi Sunak’s ‘homage to catatonia’ | Blog
September 27, 2023

Rishi Sunak’s ‘homage to catatonia’ | Blog

Rishi Sunak has rolled back the UK’s net zero policies and ripped up decades of cross-party consensus on climate change, Tim Jackson writes. “Perhaps consensus is a commodity yet more fragile than consciousness. But its disappearance carries a tragic sense of political and social loss.”
NZ International Science Festival
August 15, 2023

NZ International Science Festival

The New Zealand International Science Festival hosted Prof Jackson this year with the support of the British Council New Zealand and the Pacific. He is joined by the Director of the Centre For Sustainability, Caroline Orchinson, for this evening talk.
Why science needs the arts | Radio NZ programme with Tim Jackson
July 17, 2023

Why science needs the arts | Radio NZ programme with Tim Jackson

While we need less growth to put less demand on the planet’s resources and slow down climate change, CUSP director Tim Jackson argues that we need more art, more plays and works of fiction to bring both sides of that argument to life.
From Davos to Reykjavík: decoupling wellbeing from growth | Keynote at Icelandic Wellbeing Economy Forum, 12 June 2023
June 30, 2023

From Davos to Reykjavík: decoupling wellbeing from growth | Keynote at Icelandic Wellbeing Economy Forum, 12 June 2023

In June this year, Iceland’s Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdóttir hosted the first Wellbeing Economy Forum in Reykjavík. Tim Jackson’s keynote there explored the relationship between the ‘wellbeing economy’ and the ‘growth economy’ teasing out where the logic of wellbeing differs from the logic of growth.
Full Circle Brussels: Imagining a postgrowth economy
June 1, 2023

Full Circle Brussels: Imagining a postgrowth economy

To provide prosperity for all while respecting planetary boundaries, it is imperative we transcend both the conventional growth-centred worldview and our growth-dependent economic and social systems. Tim Jackson explores how to get there.
Imagining a postgrowth world | Speech at the EU Beyond Growth Conference, 17 May 2023
May 22, 2023

Imagining a postgrowth world | Speech at the EU Beyond Growth Conference, 17 May 2023

Growth is unsustainable. But the world beyond growth is frightening. We have built an economy that is dependent on growth. We must learn anew how society works, when the economy is not growing. And we need to confront the impossibility theorems presented to us by those who resist change.
The invisible heart: postgrowth economy as care | EU Beyond Growth Conference, 15 May 2023
May 17, 2023

The invisible heart: postgrowth economy as care | EU Beyond Growth Conference, 15 May 2023

Care is an anathema to capitalism. Its virtues are capitalism’s vices. Its employment-rich foundation for wellbeing is capitalism’s ‘productivity crisis’. Yet, without care we are nothing, our progress is nothing. Without care there is no economy.
Echoes of immortality: Art and the Wellbeing Economy
May 13, 2023

Echoes of immortality: Art and the Wellbeing Economy

Sustainability is the art of living well within the ecological limits of a finite planet. Art is more than an instrument in this project. It’s the very nature of it.A talk delivered by Tim Jackson for the Wellbeing Economy Alliance Ireland Hub, March 2023.
Whose ‘flow’ is it anyway? The demographic correlates of ‘flow proneness’
April 27, 2023

Whose ‘flow’ is it anyway? The demographic correlates of ‘flow proneness’

This quantitative study of 4000 adults in the UK found that demographic factors only play a minimal role in explaining the likelihood of people being able to experience flow, suggesting that the rewards of flow may be available across society, irrespective of demographics.
Post Growth and the North-South Divide: a post-Keynesian stock-flow consistent analysis | Working Paper
April 16, 2023

Post Growth and the North-South Divide: a post-Keynesian stock-flow consistent analysis | Working Paper

This working paper describes a two-region post-Keynesian stock-flow consistent macroeconomic model set out to analyse macroeconomic implications of a postgrowth transition in advanced countries on the economic and environmental conditions in the rest of the world
Pathways towards Sustainable Prosperity in the EU | Second Post-Growth conference at EU Parliament
April 5, 2023

Pathways towards Sustainable Prosperity in the EU | Second Post-Growth conference at EU Parliament

On 15-17 May 2023, scientists, politicians, policymakers and civil society organisations are gathering in Brussels for the second Post-Growth Conference for Europe. The event is a cross-party initiative of 20 Members of the European Parliament, supported by a wide-range of partner organisations.
Towards a Model of Baumol’s Cost Disease in a Postgrowth Economy—developments of the FALSTAFF stock-flow consistent (SFC) model
March 1, 2023

Towards a Model of Baumol’s Cost Disease in a Postgrowth Economy—developments of the FALSTAFF stock-flow consistent (SFC) model

This working paper describes an extension of the stock-flow consistent FALSTAFF model to test the existence of a monetary growth imperative. The extension is designed to simulate the phenomenon known as Baumol’s cost disease which arises from the existence of differential labour productivity rates in a mixed economy.
Imagining life after capitalism | Radio NZ with Kim Hill
January 31, 2023

Imagining life after capitalism | Radio NZ with Kim Hill

Tim Jackson was invited onto the Radio NZ Saturday Morning programme with Kim Hill to discus post-growth economics, staggering inequalities legitimated by the trickle-down ideology, and the motivation for his most recent book Post Growth-life after capitalism.
Without health there is no wealth. Why do so few governments understand this?—The Guardian Opinion
January 16, 2023

Without health there is no wealth. Why do so few governments understand this?—The Guardian Opinion

Politicians are wrong to believe that we can only afford decent care in good economic times, Tim Jackson writes. Without health there is no wealth. Without care there is no health. Care is investment. It’s not a luxury consumer item.
BBC Radio 4 Rethink Series | Green economy, money and prosperity
January 4, 2023

BBC Radio 4 Rethink Series | Green economy, money and prosperity

What may switching to a green economy mean for the way we live and work and is it compatible with economic growth? Together with his invited guests and co-hosts, Amol Rajan is exploring key questions around money, prosperity and the green economy.
Degrowth can work—here’s how science can help | Nature Article
December 12, 2022

Degrowth can work—here’s how science can help | Nature Article

Wealthy countries can create prosperity while using less materials and energy if they abandon economic growth as an objective. This Nature comment piece together with Jason Hickel, Giorgos Kallis, Julia Steinberger and more is laying out the key challenges of a just post-growth transition.
2022 Eric Zencey Prize in Ecological Economics for Tim Jackson's book Post Growth: Life after Capitalism
December 2, 2022

2022 Eric Zencey Prize in Ecological Economics for Tim Jackson’s book Post Growth: Life after Capitalism

Tim Jackson has been awarded the 2022 Eric Zencey Prize in Ecological Economics for his book Post Growth: Life after Capitalism. The prize celebrates outstanding writing on the environmental limits of a finite planet. 
Sunak’s growth fetish is a problem: he’s heading for the same budget trap as Truss | The Guardian Opinion piece
November 16, 2022

Sunak’s growth fetish is a problem: he’s heading for the same budget trap as Truss | The Guardian Opinion piece

The siren call of climate-burning expansion bewitches British politics. More of the same will emerge in the autumn statement, Tim Jackson writes. To all intents and purposes, we’re already living in a post-growth world. And it’s time to take that challenge seriously.
Is it time to rethink endless economic growth?—Guardian Science Weekly Podcast
November 15, 2022

Is it time to rethink endless economic growth?—Guardian Science Weekly Podcast

In the Cop27 special, Ian Sample speaks to Tim Jackson about the myth of eternal growth, other ways to think about progress and prosperity, and what an economic system in balance with our planetary system might look like.
Economic Growth—can we ever have enough? | BBC Radio 4 Analysis
November 9, 2022

Economic Growth—can we ever have enough? | BBC Radio 4 Analysis

As the twin storms of economic turmoil and worsening climate change grip the the world, BBC Radio 4 Analysis examines the future of economic growth. Does it offer a route out of economic malaise, or have its benefits reached a ceiling for developed countries?
Moving beyond GDP is key to tackling a world in crisis | By Paul Allin, Diane Coyle and Tim Jackson
August 26, 2022

Moving beyond GDP is key to tackling a world in crisis | By Paul Allin, Diane Coyle and Tim Jackson

Gross domestic product remains the predominant measure of progress across the world, it’s time to change that, write Paul Allin, Diane Coyle and Tim Jackson. Amid the global threats posed by climate change, spiralling energy costs, insecure employment and widening inequality, the need to rethink our notion of progress is now an urgent priority.
Mum, Will the Planet Die Before I Do? | Climate parenting podcast series with CUSP
June 21, 2022

Mum, Will the Planet Die Before I Do? | Climate parenting podcast series with CUSP

In an exciting new partnership with Corner Shop Media Productions, Parents for Future UK and Zero Carbon Guildford, CUSP is co-sponsoring a new weekly podcast series hosted by seasoned journalists Babita Sharma and Katy Glassborow. Mum, Will the Planet Die Before I Do? explores our role as parents and carers in tackling the climate crisis.
Video: 50th Anniversary of The Limits to Growth—What has the EU learned and where do we go from here?
June 18, 2022

Video: 50th Anniversary of The Limits to Growth—What has the EU learned and where do we go from here?

Roundtable event with Dennis Meadows, Robert Costanza, Kate Raworth, and Tim Jackson; contributing to the theme of post-growth thinking within the EU institutions and across EU Member States.
What happens when investment firms take over UK care homes | Report and Briefing Paper
June 15, 2022

What happens when investment firms take over UK care homes | Report and Briefing Paper

Through a series of in-depth interviews with care workers Christine Corlet Walker et al explore the impact of investment firms on working conditions and quality of care in UK care homes. Combined with an analysis of care company accounts generating insights into the impacts of financialisation on the UK care sector, the report shows how ...
Why UK’s ‘treasured free-market economy’ will not achieve net zero
April 29, 2022

Why UK’s ‘treasured free-market economy’ will not achieve net zero

Whatever the UK government says it’s doing—and not doing—one thing is clear, Tim Jackson writes, the “treasured free-market economy” is never going to compensate for our failure to insulate people’s homes against the cold, and the future against the ravages of climate change.
The Problematic Role of Materialistic Values in the Pursuit of Sustainable Well-Being | Journal paper
March 23, 2022

The Problematic Role of Materialistic Values in the Pursuit of Sustainable Well-Being | Journal paper

Strong materialistic values help to maintain consumer capitalism, but they can have negative consequences for individual well-being, for social equity and for environmental sustainability. In this paper, we add to the existing literature on the adverse consequences of materialistic values by highlighting their negative association with engagement in attitudes and actions that support the achievement ...
A critique of the marketisation of long-term residential and nursing home care | Journal Paper
March 23, 2022

A critique of the marketisation of long-term residential and nursing home care | Journal Paper

Long-term care systems across countries within the OECD have undergone a progressive marketisation and financialisation in recent decades. In this Personal View, we argue that the accomapnying neoliberal market values make poor guiding principles for the care sector, identifying the dysfunctional dynamics that arise as a result, and reflecting on the clinical implications of each, ...
Is our obsession with GDP killing the climate?—BBC World Service with  Tim Jackson, Kate Raworth, Jayati Ghosh and Celestin Monga
March 2, 2022

Is our obsession with GDP killing the climate?—BBC World Service with Tim Jackson, Kate Raworth, Jayati Ghosh and Celestin Monga

BBC World Service’s The Climate Question discussing the implications and interdependencies of the GDP growth imperative.
Land is the new frontier to greenwash corporate sins | Letter to the Financial Times
February 22, 2022

Land is the new frontier to greenwash corporate sins | Letter to the Financial Times

Letter by John Meadley and CUSP director Tim Jackson to the Financial Times, highlighting the urgent need for decent land use policy, to prevent the same predatory financial practices prevalent in the social care sector from taking hold in rural communities too.
Aligning the UK’s economic goals with environmental sustainability | EAC inquiry
February 16, 2022

Aligning the UK’s economic goals with environmental sustainability | EAC inquiry

On 9 February 2022, CUSP director Tim Jackson gave oral evidence to the Environmental Audit Committee on their beyond GPD inquiry, addressing questions around growth dependency and the limitations of the ‘inclusive wealth’ concept.