The state of degrowth research and how to assess it

This article addresses two inter-related questions. First, are degrowth claims supported by empirical evidence? And second, how do we go about reviewing the literature to answer this question? We analyze five recent reviews on the state of degrowth research focusing on the more critical, outlier of the five studies, and compare it with the four others in terms of their findings and in terms of their approach to reviewing the literature. In terms of evidence, our main finding is that the core claim of degrowth research, that green growth is unlikely if not impossible, is well supported by now; tentative findings also support the feasibility of degrowth-oriented pathways. In terms of review practice, we find that a good review of an interdisciplinary sustainability field like degrowth should avoid disciplinary biases, be transparent about its own assumptions, and use methods that are fit for the purposes it sets for itself.