Systems thinking for degrowth: The case of European aviation

Abstract

Degrowth is a burgeoning social movement and academic field calling for a democratic reduction in material and energy throughput in order to address environmental issues, such as climate change, while ensuring well-being for all. The research agenda on degrowth has grown significantly in recent years; however, there are some important limitations of degrowth policy literature that inhibit the development of effective degrowth transition strategies. One of these limitations is the prevalence of ‘policy dropping’, which refers to a lack of analytical scrutiny behind the selection of certain degrowth policies over others. A valuable approach to addressing this issue involves systems thinking, which uncovers the feedback loops driving system behaviour and, consequently, provides a foundation to evaluate the systemic effects of degrowth policy proposals and identify key policy intervention points.

The present research builds on existing degrowth policy literature by using systems thinking tools and concepts to lay the analytical foundation for the strategic selection of degrowth policies, thereby contributing to the development of degrowth transition strategies. The novelty of the present study lies in its focus on the European aviation sector, which is particularly relevant to degrowth discourse due to its high levels of projected growth and lack of viable ‘green growth’ solutions. In order to fulfil its aim, the present research identifies (1) the dominant feedback loops in the European aviation system and (2) leverage points for degrowth of European aviation.

Based on 25 expert interviews and an expert workshop, the author presents a causal loop diagram illustrating 15 feedback loops explaining the growth in European aviation activity. Based on these feedback loops, the author identifies two variables — aviation industry lobbying and airline ticket prices — that the author argues serve as strategic intervention points for degrowth policies. This study provides important insights for the development of degrowth transition strategies for European aviation and illustrates the usefulness of systems thinking to degrowth policy discourse in general. Potential avenues for future research include applying the methodology of the present study to other sectors and building on the present study to develop further contributions to degrowth policy for European aviation, for example by assessing degrowth policy interactions.