The 2022 Eric Zencey Prize in Ecological Economics, which celebrates outstanding writing on the environmental limits of a finite planet, has been awarded to Post Growth: Life after Capitalism by UK-based writer and scholar .
The announcement was made today by the Gund Institute for Environment at ̽̽ (̽̽) and the , which award the Eric Zencey Prize in Ecological Economics every two years.
“Post Growth: Life After Capitalism was the unanimous choice of our judges because it brings the core principles of ecological economics alive through powerful storytelling,” said Taylor Ricketts, Director of the Gund Institute for Environment. “This inspiring book is an invitation to reimagine the relationship among our economies, our societies, and our environment.
Jackson’s book argues that the pursuit of economic growth has delivered climate catastrophe, social inequity, and financial instability—leaving society ill-prepared for a global pandemic. Weaving together economic insight, social vision and philosophical reflection, the provocative text dares us to envision a world beyond capitalism—a place where relationship and meaning take precedence over profits and power.
“I’m absolutely delighted that Post Growth: Life After Capitalism has been awarded the Eric Zencey Prize,” said author Jackson, who is director of the , and a professor of sustainable development at the University of Surrey. “Ecological economics has been my intellectual home for more than three decades now, and this book was a very personal project for me”
Jackson has been a leading voice in international sustainability debates, working closely with the UK Government, the United Nations, the European Commission, numerous NGOs, industry, and foundations to bring economic and social science research into sustainability. He was awarded the Hillary Laureate in 2016 for exceptional international leadership in sustainability. He has authored several books, including Prosperity Without Growth, and is an award-winning playwright with numerous BBC radio-writing credits. Post Growth was published by Polity Press in 2021.
Named after pioneering scholar Eric Zencey (1954-2019), the Eric Zencey Prize in Ecological Economics was created to recognize the best current affairs book or long-form journalism that advances the public understanding of real-world environmental challenges using principles of ecological economics, a field that explores the relationship between economics and Earth’s limited natural resources.
The Eric Zencey Prize in Ecological Economics comes with a $5,000 award, which is expected to grow over time through philanthropy. Prize recipients also join the Gund Institute’s international network of Global Affiliates. The next call for submissions will be announced in Fall 2023.
The inaugural Zencey Prize winner was Floating Coast: An Environmental History of the Bering Strait by Bathsheba Demuth of Brown University (W.W. Norton and Co.) in 2020.
Register for an Evening with Tim Jackson
A virtual award ceremony and public conversation with Tim Jackson, featuring readings by the author, will be held on Monday, Dec. 5, from 4-5:15 p.m. ET. The free event will be co-presented by the Gund Institute for Environment and the U.S. Society of Ecological Economics.
Runners up include:
by Kerri Arsenault investigates the economic and health impacts of working-class mill towns.
by Robert Devine is a guide to more sustainable economy able to combat global warming and improve quality of life.
Background
The Eric Zencey Prize in Ecological Economics was created in 2018 following an outpouring of support from ecological economists, friends and family for pioneering scholar and author Eric Zencey, who passed away in 2019.
As a writer, thinker, teacher, and public intellectual, Eric Zencey (1954-2019) worked to bring ecological economics – a system for understanding the political, economic, social, and environmental challenges facing our civilization – out of the academy. The Zencey Prize in Ecological Economics honors that work and encourages others to continue it.
Born in Delaware and holding a PhD in political philosophy and the history of science, Zencey made substantial contributions to understanding the biophysical foundations of the economy during his career at ̽̽ and Washington University in St. Louis. He believed that infinite economic growth is impossible on a finite planet, because the laws of thermodynamics apply to economic systems.
Zencey is author of four books, including The Other Road to Serfdom and the Path to Sustainable Democracy (UPNE); Greening Vermont: Towards a Sustainable State (with Elizabeth Courtney); and Virgin Forest (U of Georgia Press), a collection of essays on history, ecology, and culture. His first book was the internationally best-selling novel and New York Times Notable Book of the Year, Panama. His writing has appeared in media outlets ranging from The New York Times and the Chronicle of Higher Education to Adbusters.
In Vermont and Missouri, Zencey pioneered the compilation of and advocacy for the Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI), a more comprehensive measure of economic, social, and environmental health than GDP. His efforts led directly to Vermont becoming one of the first states in the nation to adopt GPI measurement.
Zencey’s affiliations at ̽̽ included the Gund Institute, the Political Science Dept., the Honors College, the Center for Research on Vermont, and the Center for Rural Studies. At Washington University, his appointments included teaching and research positions in the College of Architecture and Urban Planning at the Sam Fox School for Design and Visual Art. Zencey also served as chair of the online history department at SUNY Empire State College, and taught in the college’s international programs, chiefly in Prague.