4 questions to Thomas B. Long about entrepreneurship and post-growth

In the post-growth agenda, you seem convinced that the "why" has become a "how". Could you tell us more about this? What changes and opportunities are arising from this?

Thomas B. Long: It’s maybe better to say that ‘how’ has joined ‘why’ to take on more equal prominence. The ‘why’ is still important. The extent to which sustainability is on the agenda is subject to the political weather (1), and given the deepening environmental crisis, and particularly the climate crisis, ‘why’ remains a critical and ongoing question – this issue cannot be taken off the agenda. The focus on 'how' to implement more sustainable, and in particular, post-growth strategies provide a constructive path forward, and can help inform the wider sustainability debate, even if not everyone is convinced.

In a simplified sense, you can see maybe two approaches emerging. For one approach, we are betting on technological innovations to save us. These new technological innovations need to decouple environmental impacts - so carbon emissions, damage to ecosystems and biodiversity - from economic growth. This is ‘green growth’ – the status quo approach for many businesses, governments etc. But the evidence so far is not promising – and you can look at the great work of Timothée Parrique for this (2). The second approach says, ‘if technological innovation cannot break this link between growth and environmental impact, then maybe we need to think about how else to organise our economy and our businesses’ – and this is where post-growth is interesting. 

By focussing more on the ‘how’, we can start to explore what these alternatives could look like and consider what can be done in the short term given the severity of the crisis. And ask what can we envisage further in the future? By building clearer pictures of these alternative models, we can make a stronger case for the necessity of a post-growth future, showing that it offers a better quality of life and a more sustainable world for future generations. Frameworks like Doughnut Economics (3) and circular economy (4) provide practical tools for this transition, while post-growth offers a broader diagnosis with guiding criteria. Together, these approaches can help us envision and shape the future we want.

You study entrepreneurship and some of its tensions, including the ambiguity of its growth model, its anchorage in local business, the "greenwashing" temptation. Could you elaborate?

Thomas B. Long: Absolutely. I originally came from more of an economics and political science background. I wanted to focus on sustainability challenges in my early research, and when I started exploring, it actually seemed that entrepreneurs and businesses, large and small, old and new, where some of the most interesting and active actors. Many were obviously part of the problem, but many were also trying to do business and entrepreneurship differently – rethinking entrepreneurship and strategy for a sustainable future. This is still the case today, I think.

What is most interesting and compelling to me is this problem-solving potential that entrepreneurs in particular have. I think entrepreneurship can be extremely powerful as a creative and problem-solving process. The phenomenon of sustainable entrepreneurship, including eco- or social entrepreneurship bears this out – we now have many great examples of the positive outcomes that can be generated with these approaches (5), and so it’s great to research this topic, and also be involved in helping shape the next generation of entrepreneurs and business leaders.

However, it is also a key moment to question progress to date, and we can see that even with these pro-social and pro-environmental forms of entrepreneurship, that they are insufficient without broader changes, given the scale of the crisis (6). In my research I am trying to explore how entrepreneurship and strategy need to change to be part of the solution within a post-growth world.

In that line, you advocate then for a whole new approach in entrepreneurship : from sustainable... to post growth. What does it mean ?

Thomas B. Long: When we talk about shifting from a sustainable to a post-growth approach in entrepreneurship, I think we’re really talking about a fundamental change in how we define success and growth in business, in order to bring it in line with biophysical realities.

The post-growth approach really challenges some of the basic assumptions within the ‘green growth’ paradigm I talked about before. Sustainability within the current growth paradigm still often assumes that economic growth is a given, and the goal is to make that growth "greener" or more socially inclusive.

Entrepreneurs are still encouraged to scale rapidly, capture market share, and maximize profits, but this can lead to many of the problems we see. This growth imperative (7) can be in direct conflict with the need to operate within planetary boundaries and focus on long-term community well-being. The paradox here is that while growth is seen as a marker of success, it can also lead to negative outcomes if not managed with a broader perspective on sustainability. The question becomes more about if and how growth is achieved and managed, in what sectors, and what parts of the world.

Post-growth suggests that we need to move beyond the idea that growth—particularly economic growth—is inherently positive or necessary. Instead, post-growth entrepreneurship asks: how can businesses contribute to human and ecological well-being? And without relying on the traditional metrics of success, like profit maximization at any cost and market expansion. It’s no longer necessarily about how fast or how big a business can grow, but about how well it can meet the real needs of people and communities in a way that is regenerative and sustainable over the long term. This could mean prioritizing the well-being of employees, customers, and the community, or focusing on ecological restoration rather than just minimizing harm. It could mean growth and size, but it probably doesn’t.

For example, a post-growth entrepreneur might choose to limit venture size deliberately to remain manageable and maintain strong local relationships. It might focus on creating a product that’s designed to last, rather than driving repeat sales through planned obsolescence. Or it could prioritize local supply chains and community resilience over global expansion.

When we read your latest papers, post-growth seems around the corner. Feasible. Would you agree? What are the biggest misconceptions? But furthermore: how do we get there? How do entrepreneurs help us?

Thomas B. Long: While post-growth ideas are gaining traction, it's important to recognize that there is no fully post-growth business, it doesn’t exist—at least not yet. We have the big, classic example in Patagonia, and then also other newer examples, all of which are integrating elements of post-growth thinking into their operations. You can think about Patagonia's commitment to sustainability over extracting profit (8), or the value Oatly generates by providing plant-based milk substitute (9) (10), or how Fairphone production of modular phones that are easy to repair and upgrade, extending their lifecycle and reducing electronic waste (11) (12). There are also really interesting things happening around cooperatives, such as Som Energia, who are pioneering more participation and democratic codetermination. However, these initiatives are limited by a broader economic system that still prioritizes growth and profits over other aims.

The key is to use these examples to influence the wider debate, showing that it's possible to align business success with sustainability, even within a system that doesn't fully support it. Entrepreneurs are crucial in this process, as they experiment with and demonstrate the viability of new business models. I want my research and teaching to help prepare future leaders to drive these changes, equipping them with the tools to implement sustainable practices and push the broader system toward a post-growth future.

References

(1) April 2, 2022 - United Nations: "Secretary-General Warns of Climate Emergency, Calling Intergovernmental Panel’s Report ‘a File of Shame’, While Saying Leaders ‘Are Lying’, Fuelling Flames" - https://press.un.org/en/2022/sgsm21228.doc.htm

(2) Parrique's personal website, "Research & Insights" section: https://timotheeparrique.com/work-2/

(3) About Doughnut Economics, The Dougnut Economics Action Lab - https://doughnuteconomics.org/about-doughnut-economics

(4) Ellen MacArthur Foundation, "It's time for a circular economy" - https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/

(5) CircularX.eu, Regenerative Business Case Database - https://www.circularx.eu/en/tool/30/regenerative-business-case-database

(6) The Club of Rome, "Why systemic change is essential for a sustainable future" - https://www.clubofrome.org/blog-post/systemic-change-sustainable-future/

(7) Oliver Richters, Andreas Siemoneit, "Growth imperatives: Substantiating a contested concept" (2019). Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Volume 51, Pages 126-137 - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0954349X19301742

(8) The Guardian, "Patagonia’s billionaire owner gives away company to fight climate crisis" (2022) - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/sep/14/patagonias-billionaire-owner-gives-away-company-to-fight-climate-crisis-yvon-chouinard

(9) Nancy Bocken, Lisa Smeke Morales and Matthias Lehner, "Sufficiency Business Strategies in the Food Industry—The Case of Oatly" (2020). Sustainability, 12(3), 824 - https://doi.org/10.3390/su12030824

(10) Oatly official website - https://www.oatly.com

(11) Franziska Verena Haucke, "Smartphone-enabled social change: Evidence from the Fairphone case?" (2018) Journal of Cleaner Production, Volume 197, Part 2 - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S095965261731435X

(12) Fairphone official website - https://www.fairphone.com