‘When the accumulation of wealth is no longer of high social importance, there will be great changes in the code of morals… The love of money as a possession – as distinguished from the love of money as a means to the enjoyments and realities of life – will be recognised for what it is, a somewhat disgusting morbidity…’, – John Maynard Keynes ‘Economic Possibilities for our Grandchildren’, 1930.

Has economic growth had its day? If so what notion(s) do we need to replace it? What new language can we use to encapsulate those notions? This exciting workshop is for people concerned to explore alternatives to aggregate economic growth as the primary measure of economic and social progress in the region and the language we need to powerfully describe those alternatives.

With the absence of growth post-crash, and the incompatibility of continued growth and climate safety in the future, Steady State Manchester has been developing practical recommendations for ways Manchester and its regions can develop low-carbon, high well-being and resilient local economies.

On Wednesday the 22^nd of May Manchester’s Economy Scrutiny Committee heard from Climate Scientist Kevin Anderson on the scale of action required for effective mitigation of climate change. He was unequivocal on the matter that continued economic growth in advanced economies is incompatible with remaining in a ‘safe operating zone’ in terms of GHG emissions.

Steady State Manchester’s Mark Burton presented the committee with four examples of practical recommendations that could make Manchester greener, fairer, happier and more climate-safe. These included initiatives to:

–       Measure progress in the local economy through indices of ecological health and human well-being, instead of undifferentiated GVA.

–        Tackle unemployment, fuel poverty and reduce carbon emissions through channelling resources into apprenticeships for housing retrofit

–       Increasing the amount of food grown locally by making unused land available to growing groups and localizing the council’s food procurement.

–       Create jobs through reducing working hours, sharing the available work and increasing the sustainability and quality of urban life.

These proposals were well received by the Committee and by individual councillors, who are keen to take them forward. But we need your input to make sure we are moving in the right direction.

We want to ensure that our proposals are rooted in economic and ecological expertise and best-practice examples of economies that create social and environmental value. This workshop aims to bring together what citizens think a thriving/climate-safe city should look like, with the knowledge and research expertise of academics, and the know-how of practitioners.

Using world cafe style it will be participative, promote networking and conversations about the burning issues for each and every participant.

We ask participants to read and engage with SSM’s two reports; ‘IPOG’ and ‘Living Well’, or the executive summary, and consider SSM’s working proposals for the region as examples of an attempt to introduce new thinking on ecological justice and economics.

Then bring your examples, issues raised, objections and critiques in the form of questions, these questions will the basis of the workshop.

The reports and list of recommendations can be accessed at: https://steadystatemanchester.net/our-reports/. 

For an example of how further economic growth remains the primary goal of regional development see the AGMA Greater Manchester Strategy:

http://www.agma.gov.uk/latest-news/gms_2013/index.html

Please RSVP practicalsolidaritymcr@gmail.com as places are limited to 35. For any further information contact Ben Irvine: 07789741041.

You are welcome to bring your lunch.  Drinks will be available.