EPISODE SUMMARY
In a world where perpetual economic growth is the default objective, what happens when we reach the limits of our planet’s capacity? Economist Gaya Herrington has dedicated her research to answering this question. Her update to the famous Limits to Growth study—originally published by MIT in 1972—went viral for its stark conclusion: we are on track for a steep economic and social decline unless we radically rethink our approach.
In this episode, Gaya discusses the transition from a growth-centric to a well-being economy, one that prioritizes human welfare and sustainability over GDP. She explains why degrowth is not about collapse, but about rebalancing our economy within planetary boundaries. She also delves into the corporate challenges of navigating this shift, the limitations of current economic metrics, and the role of resilience over efficiency in business strategy.
What do we talk about?
00:00 Introduction and Background
02:52 The Concept of Well-Being Economics
05:57 Limits to Growth and Resistance to Change
09:09 Critique of GDP and Alternative Metrics
12:10 Understanding Degrowth and Its Implications
15:08 Navigating Corporate Challenges
18:01 The Role of Resilience in Business
20:50 Stakeholder Capitalism and Governance Changes
23:52 Innovation and R&D in a Sustainable Context
27:12 Individual Actions within Corporations
30:01 The Future of Economic Systems
32:54 Concluding Thoughts and Vision for Change
Impact
Gaya Herrington’s research has played a pivotal role in reshaping the conversation on economic sustainability. Her update to the 1972 Limits to Growth study confirmed that current economic trends align with scenarios predicting a steep decline if resource consumption continues unchecked. This research went viral in 2021, influencing global discussions on the need for systemic change.
As a sustainability leader at De Nederlandsche Bank, KPMG, and Schneider Electric, she has worked to integrate well-being economics into corporate strategy, challenging GDP as a success metric and advocating for resilience over efficiency.
Beyond economics, Herrington is a women’s rights activist and founder of Stop Straatintimidatie, which successfully pushed for the criminalization of street harassment in the Netherlands. As a speaker, researcher, and policy advisor, she continues to drive global discussions on sustainability and economic transformation.
“We need to safeguard people’s livelihoods in the absence of growth.”
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