Full Name Niko Paech | Name Niko Paech | |
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Born December 9, 1960 (age 63) ( 1960-12-09 ) Schuttorf Occupation economist, professor at University of Oldenburg Awards Kapp-Forschungspreis fur Okologische Okonomie Books Liberation from Excess: The Road to a Post-growth Economy | ||
Introduction to Post Growth Economics - Prof. Niko Paech
Niko Paech (born December 9, 1960 in Schüttorf) is a German economist. Since 2010 he has been substitute professor at the chair of production and environment („PUM“) at the University of Oldenburg. His research is in the fields of environmental economics, ecological economics and sustainability science.
Contents
- Introduction to Post Growth Economics Prof Niko Paech
- Biography
- Post growth economy
- Public perception
- Literature
- References
Biography
Paech received his diploma in economy in 1987 at the University of Osnabrück. He continued to work at the same university until 1997, obtaining his PhD in 1993.
After working for a short phase as a consultant in the area of ecological grocery and as Agenda 21 agent of the city Oldenburg Paech began his employment at the University of Oldenburg.
He was co-funder of CENTOS (Oldenburg Center for Sustainability Economics and Management) and is co-chairman of Vereinigung für Ökologische Ökonomie (VÖÖ), a German society for ecological economics, member of ZENARIO (Center for sustainable space developing Oldenburg) and the network KoBE e.V. (Expertise center for Building and Energy). Besides Paech is a member and scientific adviser of attac-Germany and founding member of the „Postfossil-Institut“ (2011).
In 2006 he was awarded the Kapp-Forschungspreis für Ökologische Ökonomie for his work of „Nachhaltiges Wirtschaften jenseits von Innovationsorientierung und Wachstum – Eine unternehmensbezogene Transformationstheorie“. In 2014, he received the award “Mut zur Nachhaltigkeit” (“Encouraging Sustainability”) by Zeit Wissen. The jury distinguished Paech as a luminous figure in the worldwide discussion about post-growth. In an article published in the Guardian about the German post growth movement, he was characterized as „one of the more high-profile members of this movement.“
Post-growth economy
Paech refers to post-growth economy as an economic system that supplies the human needs not on the basis of, or dependency on economic growth but which is characterized by degrowth. Post-growth economy specifically distinguishes itself from popular terms or ideologies such as "sustainable", "green", "dematerialized" or "decarbonized", rejecting the idea that ecological sustainability through technological development would be a realistic goal when holding on to a system measuring progress merely in added economical value. Paech argues for the necessity of such an economic order by addressing the failure of decoupling the environmental damage and the consumption of resources from economical added value, addressing issues such as raising general well-being in society based on happiness economics and economic limitations such as the global maximum oil output.
His approach is based upon five pillars: institutional innovations, material zero sum games, regional economics, subsistence economy and sufficiency, „which conclusivly leads to a higher individual life quality and more common good.“ He underlines that no sustainable products nor sustainable technologies as such exist, only sustainable lifestyles.
Public perception
Niko Paech and his concepts have been discussed in the German national press such as Süddeutsche, Bild, Zeit, taz, Le Monde diplomatique, Tagesspiegel, Badische Zeitung or VDI nachrichten. He was interviewed in Deutschlandradio Kultur 3sat, Arte and was in-studio guest at Planet Wissen. Internationally, his concepts were discussed in Austria by Südwind Magazin, the magazine Format and ORF, the Swiss Radio Stadtfilter and the Italian newspapers La Stampa and Panorama.