The Growth Dilemma: Time to Rethink What Progress Looks Like

Economic growth has long been the defining metric of success. But as planetary boundaries are breached, inequality widens, and the climate crisis deepens, the question becomes harder to ignore: Can we grow forever on a finite planet?

In this edition of the Strategic Sustainability Nexus, we explore the emerging shift from growth-at-all-costs to models centered on well-being, resilience, and long-term sufficiency. Whether we arrive at post-growth economics by proactive redesign or through reactive disruption, the signals are clear. A new economic logic is taking shape.

Degrowth is no longer a fringe idea. It is being debated in boardrooms, policy circles, and academic institutions across the globe. At the same time, businesses are beginning to explore what it means to thrive within limits by decoupling value creation from resource extraction, investing in circularity, and prioritizing long-term societal relevance over short-term gains.

What could a post-growth world look like? What role should business play in making the transition just, inclusive, and purposeful?

Let’s dig into what it really means to move beyond growth, not as an economic collapse, but as a redefinition of prosperity itself.

Best regards, Michael

Table of Content:

🔹 In the Spotlight: Beyond Growth – Rethinking Prosperity in the Age of Limits

🔹 Three Questions (You Never Dared to Ask)

🔹 Podcast Highlights: The Circular Coffee Break | The Future of Sustainability

🔹 Top Picks: News & Resources

🔹 Over to You

In the Spotlight: Beyond Growth – Rethinking Prosperity in the Age of Limits

Economic growth has been the foundation of modern policymaking and business strategy for more than a century. GDP rises, and we celebrate. Expansion is equated with success, scale with impact. But in recent years, that foundation has begun to crack.

Climate change, biodiversity loss, rising inequality, resource constraints, and geopolitical instability are exposing the vulnerabilities of an economic model that depends on producing and consuming more each year. At the same time, the promise that growth will eventually solve social problems and fund environmental progress is proving increasingly hollow.

We are entering an era where the pursuit of growth may not only be unrealistic, but counterproductive. Whether we embrace it or resist it, a post-growth world is approaching. The question for business leaders is no longer whether we will reach this turning point, but whether we will be prepared for it.

What if GDP is no longer the most important metric?

The post-growth conversation begins by questioning the primacy of GDP. While it tracks the volume of goods and services produced, it tells us little about ecological health, social cohesion, or long-term resilience. It does not account for depleted soils, rising emissions, or declining trust. It overlooks unpaid care work, healthy ecosystems, and cultural richness.

Countries like New Zealand, Finland, and Scotland are experimenting with well-being budgets. In the EU, the Beyond Growth movement is gaining momentum among policymakers, researchers, and civil society. In the business world, there is a slow but visible shift toward alternative performance metrics, such as impact-weighted accounting and stakeholder value creation.

This is not about abandoning numbers. It is about choosing more meaningful ones.

Degrowth is not decline. It is design.

Degrowth is often misunderstood as economic retreat or forced scarcity. In reality, it is about purposeful rebalancing. The idea is to reduce material and energy throughput in wealthy economies, not to create hardship, but to ensure ecological stability and social well-being.

Degrowth is not anti-business. It is a prompt to rethink what business is for.

In a degrowth context, companies succeed not by maximizing output, but by creating meaningful value within ecological and social boundaries. That could mean producing goods that last, providing services instead of products, sharing underused assets, or shifting to local supply networks. It means doing less, but doing it better.

Post-growth business in practice

We already see signs of post-growth thinking in action. Patagonia has committed to limiting growth and channeling profits toward environmental protection. Interface continues to build its business around regenerative design. Startups focused on reuse, repair, and rental models are gaining traction. These examples show that companies can thrive by aligning with a different kind of value logic.

Investors are paying attention, too. The rise of climate-related disclosure rules, ESG litigation, and demand for sustainable finance are changing the context in which companies operate. Firms that anticipate these shifts and align with future-fit strategies are likely to become more resilient and relevant.

Why this matters now

The post-growth shift is not hypothetical. It is already unfolding. Slower global growth rates, aging populations, energy volatility, and climate impacts are reshaping the economic landscape. In this context, clinging to the assumption of permanent expansion creates strategic blind spots.

Letting go of growth as the ultimate goal does not mean giving up on progress. It means redefining it in terms of well-being, resilience, and purpose.

A broader definition of success

A post-growth perspective does not ask companies to scale down ambition. It invites them to scale up impact. It asks different questions: What kind of value are we creating? Who benefits? What burdens are we passing on? How can we create prosperity that does not rely on extraction and excess?

This is not a call to retreat. It is a call to redesign. To build business models that are leaner, wiser, and more regenerative. And to do so not because we have to, but because it is the better way forward.

A conversation worth having

Degrowth and post-growth are challenging ideas. They force us to confront assumptions that many of us have relied on for decades. But avoiding this conversation will not shield us from its implications.

We need to bring this dialogue into the open. Into boardrooms, classrooms, investor meetings, and policy forums. Not to dismantle business, but to reimagine its role. Not to limit what we can achieve, but to expand how we define success.

Because one way or another, the age of endless growth is ending. The real question is whether we will lead the next chapter or be left behind.

Three Questions (You Never Dared to Ask)

Degrowth and post-growth economics challenge some of the most deeply held assumptions in business. They raise uncomfortable but necessary questions about purpose, performance, and the role of companies in a world facing hard limits. These are not abstract debates. They are becoming strategic realities. Here are three questions we need to start asking more openly.

1. Does post-growth mean the end of profitability? Not necessarily. Profit is not the problem. It is how it is pursued that matters. Post-growth thinking encourages companies to move from volume-driven models to ones that prioritize value, durability, and long-term relevance. That could mean shifting from products to services, from ownership to access, or from growth for its own sake to purpose-led performance. Profit can still be generated, but in ways that work within ecological and social boundaries.

2. Is degrowth just for activists and academics? No. While the concept of degrowth started in academic and activist circles, it is now part of broader conversations among policymakers, investors, and business leaders. As climate risks grow, resources tighten, and global growth slows, the idea of designing for sufficiency instead of expansion is gaining traction. Degrowth is not a fringe ideology. It is a practical lens for rethinking business in an age of constraints.

3. Can a company thrive without growing? Yes, but it requires redefining what thriving means. Many small and medium-sized businesses already operate successfully without constant expansion. Thriving can mean being trusted by customers, creating real value, retaining talent, and staying resilient through disruption. Scaling does not always mean getting bigger. It can mean growing deeper roots in your community, your supply chain, or your stakeholder relationships.

🎙Podcast Highlights: The Circular Coffee Break

The Circular Coffee Break podcast is a bi-weekly podcast dedicated to exploring the latest trends, challenges, and innovations in circularity and sustainability. Through expert interviews and in-depth discussions, we aim to provide valuable insights and perspectives to enhance your understanding and engagement. Below, you will find concise summaries of our latest episodes, capturing the essential points and conversations. We hope you find these highlights both informative and inspiring.

#58 – The Circular Path from WCEF to COP30 What role can the circular economy play in global climate action? In this episode, I’m joined by Tuuli Hietaniemi, Senior Lead at SITRA, to unpack key takeaways from the World Circular Economy Forum 2025 and the road to COP30. We discuss how circularity is emerging as a tool for climate implementation, the growing importance of national policy roadmaps, and how businesses can prepare for what’s ahead. 🎧 Listen to the full episode

#59 – CIRCULAZE: Circular Innovation at the Edge Natascha Zeljko, Co-founder of CIRCULAZE, shares how her platform is accelerating the circular transition through bold cross-industry collaboration. From elevating breakthrough startups to building bridges between corporates, investors, and universities, this episode dives into what it takes to move from innovation to real impact. Natascha also reflects on the importance of visibility, mindset shifts, and why circularity belongs at the heart of future-fit business. 🎧 Listen to the full episode

#60 – Circular Strategies for Success Anne Raudaskoski, Co-founder of Ethica and author of Circular Strategies for Success, joins me to share how companies can embed circular thinking into every layer of their operations. We explore what it takes to move from awareness to action, from mindset change and design frameworks to leadership alignment and experimentation. A practical, optimistic episode for anyone looking to accelerate their company’s circular journey. 🎧 Listen to the full episode

#61 – The Circular Economy Outlook How far have Nordic companies really come on their circular journey? In this episode, I speak with Michel Bajuk (Cradlenet, Nordic Circular Hotspot) and Marcus Linder (RISE) about the Nordic Circular Economy Outlook 2024. We explore the first data-driven snapshot of publicly listed Nordic firms, discussing strategic ambition, performance gaps, and the steps needed to turn circular commitments into measurable outcomes. 🎧 Listen to the full episode

 🎙Podcast Highlights: The Future of Sustainability Podcast

The Future of Sustainability podcast is a bi-weekly series that delves into the forces shaping a more sustainable world. From deep dives into global megatrends to candid conversations with leading thinkers, innovators, and policymakers, each episode explores how society, business, and technology are evolving to meet the challenges of our time. We aim to inspire strategic foresight and bold thinking by uncovering transformative ideas and practical pathways forward. Below, you’ll find concise summaries of our latest episodes, each one capturing key insights, big questions, and actionable takeaways to fuel your thinking and leadership.

#4 – I WAS BORN A GIRL: How Art Can Be a Driver for Impact and Change Peppi Stünkel, creative, activist, and founder of I Was Born a Girl, shares how art and poetry can become powerful tools for transformation. From grassroots work in Mexico to exhibitions at the United Nations, Peppi’s story is a reminder of how creative expression can spark dialogue around gender rights, create safe spaces for healing, and invite new ways of seeing. We also explore her work with Team Creativity Finland and how collaborative art can help businesses unlock empathy, connection, and change. 🎧 Listen to the full episode

#5 – Driving Sustainability: WRC’s New Era of Motorsport Innovation Marc de Jong, Head of Business Development at the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), joins us to unpack how one of the world’s most iconic motorsport series is embedding sustainability into the heart of performance. From 100% sustainable fuel and hybrid technology to biodiversity projects in Kenya and mobile health clinics in Mexico, WRC is becoming a testbed for innovation. We explore WRC’s five-pillar strategy, its global platform for showcasing sustainable technologies, and why rally logistics matter as much as the race. 🎧 Listen to the full episode

#6 – Every Purchase Matters: How Fair Trade Farmers, Companies, and Consumers Are Changing the World In this episode, Paul Rice, founder of Fair Trade USA and author of Every Purchase Matters, shares the journey behind one of the most influential ethical sourcing movements of our time. We explore how fair trade has evolved, what it takes to make capitalism more inclusive, and why everyday consumer choices hold the power to shape markets and livelihoods. A hopeful and honest conversation about systems change through values-based commerce. 🎧 Listen to the full episode

#7 – Empowering Women, Transforming Futures Aino Försti-Smith, Head of Communications at Bayer Finland, joins us for a wide-ranging conversation on women’s health, equity, and access. We talk about Bayer’s commitment to reaching 100 million women with modern contraceptives by 2030, the deep community engagement required to make access real, and why reproductive health is a cornerstone of sustainable development. Aino also shares insights from global advocacy work in Kenya, Egypt, and India, and what other companies can learn from Bayer’s approach. 🎧 Listen to the full episode

Top Picks: News & Resources

The conversation around degrowth and post-growth economics is gaining traction across academic, policy, and business circles. This month’s selection highlights key resources that explore the limitations of growth as a universal goal and the emerging pathways toward economic models focused on well-being, resilience, and ecological stability.

 🔹 Beyond Growth Conference 2023 – European Parliament: A landmark political event hosted by the European Parliament brought together economists, policymakers, and activists to explore post-growth policies and reimagine the future of economic development in Europe. The discussions focused on shifting priorities from GDP growth to social and environmental well-being. Read more

🔹 The Future is Degrowth – A Guide to a World Beyond Capitalism: This accessible book by Schmelzer, Vetter, and Vansintjan explores the roots, principles, and practical implications of the degrowth movement. It outlines how societies and economies could thrive by embracing sufficiency, care, and ecological balance instead of constant expansion. Read more

🔹 Post-Growth: Life after Capitalism – Tim Jackson: Economist Tim Jackson argues that prosperity can be redefined without the need for endless GDP growth. This powerful book presents an ethical and economic framework for flourishing within planetary limits, and is particularly relevant for business leaders seeking deeper purpose in a post-growth era. Read more

🔹 OECD – Beyond GDP: Measuring What Counts for Economic and Social Performance: This report challenges the adequacy of GDP as a measure of progress and explores alternative indicators that reflect the quality of life, environmental sustainability, and inclusive growth. It offers a policy-oriented view of how governments and institutions can shift towards more holistic frameworks. Read more

🔹 The Limits to Growth – 50 Years Later: Originally published in 1972, this MIT study remains one of the most influential reports warning of ecological overshoot. Many of its scenarios are now playing out in real time. Recent reassessments reaffirm its core message: infinite growth on a finite planet is not possible. Read more

Over to You

The conversation around degrowth and post-growth economics is no longer limited to academic circles. It is beginning to influence how businesses think about value, growth, and responsibility. As planetary boundaries tighten and global systems strain under compounding crises, many leaders are starting to ask: what does it really mean to thrive in a world of limits?

Is your organization rethinking its growth assumptions? Are you exploring business models that prioritize resilience, sufficiency, and long-term impact over short-term expansion? Or grappling with how to balance financial performance with ecological responsibility?

I invite you to share your thoughts, questions, or experiences. Join the conversation on LinkedIn or reply directly to this newsletter. Let’s explore how post-growth thinking might shape future-fit strategies, decision-making, and leadership in practice.

If you found this edition useful, please consider forwarding it to a colleague or sharing it with your network. Expanding this dialogue starts with small, honest conversations and your voice matters.

All the best,

Michael

The Strategic Sustainability Nexus is a monthly newsletter dedicated to exploring the intersection of strategy, digital innovation, and sustainability. It offers curated news, expert insights, and highlights from the “Circular Coffee Break” & “Future of Sustainability” podcasts, aiming to deepen understanding and share best practices for a sustainable future. This newsletter is an experiment to reach more people and expand our collective impact on creating a more sustainable world.