Sustainability for All: Using Degrowth Principles to Build a Better World for Autistic People
Autistic individuals face significant challenges in hyper-individualistic, capitalist societies, where the emphasis on competition and self-reliance often marginalises those who process and experience the world differently. Under this system, access to essential services is often treated as a privilege rather than a right, leaving many autistic people struggling with unmet needs for housing, healthcare, and meaningful work. Exploitation is pervasive, with autistic individuals disproportionately subjected to precarious employment and inadequate wages, whilst systemic exclusion isolates them from opportunities to thrive. These realities are not merely coincidental but stem from a societal framework that prioritises profit and efficiency over human welfare, perpetuating harm by failing to recognise the social structures that exacerbate vulnerability.
Jason Hickel and Dylan Sullivan’s recent study offers a vital opportunity to rethink these priorities. Their work challenges the prevailing narrative that societal progress can only be achieved through relentless economic growth, a model that disregards the finite limits of our planet and the inequities it sustains. Instead, they propose a needs-based approach that centres on improving access to essential goods and services whilst reducing wasteful and harmful production. This framework aligns with a broader understanding of human distress, akin to the Power Threat Meaning Framework (PTMF), which highlights how societal structures create and perpetuate difficulties in people’s lives. By addressing the structural roots of deprivation and ecological breakdown, Hickel and Sullivan present a “middle ground” solution that balances meeting human needs with maintaining planetary boundaries.
This approach has profound implications for autistic people, whose struggles often stem from systemic barriers rather than individual deficits. A society built on equitable access to essential resources, underpinned by public provisioning, would not only alleviate many of the pressures they face but also enable their full participation and flourishing. By moving beyond the narrow confines of growth-driven policies, Hickel and Sullivan’s vision opens the door to a more inclusive and sustainable future—one that values all people and ensures that no one is left behind.
The Problem with Capitalist Individualism
Capitalism’s ideology of individualism often mirrors a harsh “survival of the fittest” narrative, inherently at odds with the needs of neurodivergent individuals, including autistic people. In this system, economic success and social value are measured by productivity and self-sufficiency, sidelining those who require support or whose contributions may not align with conventional metrics. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the gig economy—a precarious realm where countless workers add immense value to platforms and their shareholders but are systematically excluded from the wealth they help create. Drivers, delivery personnel, and freelancers generate the foundation of these businesses, yet companies simultaneously work to automate or outsource their labour to reduce costs. In doing so, they reinforce the power dynamics of capitalism, where those controlling the means of production wield disproportionate influence, quickly discarding workers to safeguard profits and maintain growth. This cycle not only exploits vulnerable populations but also perpetuates their exclusion from economic stability.
The structural inequities of capitalist individualism extend further into the realm of infrastructure and innovation, exposing the hidden subsidies that enable private profit. Roads, utilities, and essential public services are often funded by taxpayers, yet their benefits are monopolised by private enterprise. A stark example lies in the dominance of car travel over public transport in the United States. Auto companies have thrived because they bore none of the costs associated with road construction or maintenance, allowing them to innovate freely in design and production. Conversely, the American rail system—entirely privately owned, including the tracks—has stagnated, with little incentive for innovation. Poor track maintenance has resulted in frequent derailments, a neglected issue that poses significant public safety risks. Furthermore, the US lacks high-speed rail entirely, as private monopolies prioritise profits over advancements in service. This contrasts sharply with countries where public funding supports rail development as an accessible, eco-friendly alternative.
Meanwhile, services critical to autistic individuals, such as education, housing, and mental health care, remain severely underfunded. These public goods, designed to meet collective needs, are sidelined in favour of systems that prioritise individual gain and private wealth accumulation. As a result, autistic people often face barriers that could easily be addressed through comprehensive public investment. The lack of universal healthcare, for example, leaves many unable to access diagnosis or treatment, while inadequate housing and educational support exacerbate social and economic exclusion. Capitalism’s emphasis on individual profit prioritises privatising gains while socialising losses, further deepening inequalities and disregarding the profound human cost of neglecting society’s most vulnerable.
Degrowth and Its Relevance
The degrowth movement represents a fundamental shift in how societies approach progress and well-being, advocating for the reduction of unnecessary production and consumption whilst ensuring that everyone’s essential needs are met. Unlike the austerity measures often imposed during economic downturns—characterised by cuts to public services and increased deprivation—degrowth focuses on equity, sustainability, and collective flourishing. It challenges the assumption that perpetual economic growth is inherently beneficial, instead proposing that the goal of a society should not be to produce more but to live better within planetary boundaries. This vision centres on rebalancing priorities, addressing ecological degradation, and tackling social inequalities, all while creating systems that enhance human well-being.
In practice, degrowth means scaling down wasteful sectors and redirecting resources toward areas that truly matter. Hickel and Sullivan emphasise the need to reduce production in luxury goods, fossil fuels, and other industries that contribute little to societal good yet consume vast resources. For example, the global fashion industry generates enormous waste and pollution whilst perpetuating exploitative labour practices, yet its output does little to improve people’s lives. By scaling back such sectors, degrowth envisions reallocating resources to universal public services—healthcare, education, public housing, and transportation systems—that directly enhance quality of life and reduce inequality.
This approach is particularly relevant for neurodivergent individuals, including autistic people, who often struggle under systems prioritising profit over care. Better funding for neurodivergent-friendly services, such as supported housing, inclusive education, and tailored mental health care, would significantly improve their well-being. A degrowth-oriented society would recognise these services not as burdens or luxuries but as integral to meeting human needs. For instance, public investment in accessible infrastructure could transform daily life for autistic individuals, removing barriers to participation and fostering independence. Similarly, funding for specialised support in education and employment would enable autistic people to contribute their unique strengths to society, shifting the narrative from marginalisation to inclusion.
Degrowth also challenges the notion that growth itself is necessary to fund public services, instead demonstrating that prioritising essential needs and reducing excess can achieve better outcomes without the environmental cost. In a degrowth framework, the focus is not on generating wealth but on distributing it more fairly and ensuring resources are used to meet human and ecological needs. By reducing societal dependence on resource-intensive, profit-driven industries, a degrowth approach creates space for reimagining a society that values care, equity, and sustainability above material accumulation. For neurodivergent individuals, this could mean access to a society designed with their needs in mind—a society that provides not just survival but genuine opportunity to thrive.
The Study’s "Middle Ground" Approach
The concept of Universal Decent Living Standards (DLS), as outlined in Hickel and Sullivan’s study, shifts the focus of societal progress from economic growth for some to ensuring that everyone has access to essential resources like food, housing, and healthcare without exceeding planetary limits. This approach asks us to rethink how resources are allocated and prioritised, focusing on meeting human needs rather than maximising profits. Critics might question where the funding for such systems would come from, who would decide how it’s spent, and whether it can account for selfish or exploitative behaviours. The answer lies in collective action and governance: by redirecting resources currently wasted on luxury goods, speculative markets, and environmentally harmful industries, we could fund systems that prioritise universal well-being. Public participation in decision-making would ensure that funds are used equitably and transparently, whilst fostering a culture of mutual care could counteract selfish tendencies.
This framework is particularly significant for addressing the inequities faced by neurodivergent people, whose needs are often overlooked in GDP-driven models of progress. GDP—a measure of a nation’s total economic output popular in the Global North—fails to account for the distribution of wealth or the quality of life it generates. A significant portion of GDP is dominated by the FIRE sector—Finance, Insurance, and Real Estate—whose speculative activities provide little benefit to ordinary people. The vast wealth generated in these industries largely remains in the hands of a few, disconnected from the broader needs of society. Worse, when the speculative nature of the FIRE sector spirals out of control, as it seems to do in dramatic crashes every eight years or so, the public is inevitably called upon to bail it out. Politicians argue that such bailouts are necessary to "preserve the country," yet they overwhelmingly protect corporate profits rather than the individuals most harmed by the resulting crises. This cycle of profit-driven speculation, collapse, and public rescue underscores how GDP growth often reflects the interests of capital rather than the well-being of the people it claims to represent. Purchasing Power Parity (PPP), on the other hand, measures what people can actually buy with their income relative to the cost of essential goods and services. This more human-centric metric highlights disparities in access and purchasing power, exposing how GDP growth often masks worsening inequalities. By focusing on DLS rather than abstract growth metrics, the study proposes a model that addresses the systemic barriers neurodivergent individuals face, ensuring access to housing, healthcare, and education tailored to their needs.
Balancing human and planetary needs is the study’s cornerstone, positioning it as a pragmatic alternative to both extreme capitalist individualism and utopian visions of limitless equality. It recognises that endless consumption is neither sustainable nor necessary for a good life. Instead, public provisioning systems—such as universal healthcare, affordable public transit, and potentially universal basic income (UBI)—serve as the foundation for a society that meets everyone’s needs while respecting ecological boundaries. For autistic individuals, these systems could offer a lifeline, removing barriers to participation and fostering independence. Universal healthcare would ensure timely diagnoses and access to therapies without financial strain, while affordable housing and public transit would increase mobility and community engagement.
The study acknowledges that some degree of inequality may persist, but it argues that fairness can still be achieved through policies that cap excessive consumption and redistribute resources to ensure everyone has enough. By focusing on meeting universal needs rather than fuelling endless growth, Hickel and Sullivan’s “middle ground” approach presents a realistic and sustainable pathway to a society where everyone, including autistic people, can thrive within the limits of our planet.
Implications for Autistic People
A shift from hyper-individualism to community-centred support could profoundly transform the lives of autistic individuals, fostering inclusion and independence within a more equitable society. Universal access to housing, healthcare, and education would remove many of the systemic barriers that autistic people face, offering stability and opportunities for growth. Public provisioning—where essential services are collectively funded and accessible to all—plays a critical role in alleviating the economic pressures placed on caregivers and families. By ensuring that basic needs are met without dependence on private wealth or charity, such systems would create a foundation where autistic individuals can thrive, free from the constant uncertainty that capitalist systems perpetuate.
The focus of degrowth on meaningful work and reduced consumerism aligns closely with the needs of autistic individuals, who often value purpose and sustainability over superficial trends. The current market, epitomised by platforms like Amazon, gives the illusion of endless choice with “thousands of brands” that, in reality, stem from a handful of massive manufacturers producing cheap, disposable goods. This flood of low-quality items is not only environmentally destructive but also destabilising for households that must constantly replace broken or inadequate products. In contrast, a return to producing durable, high-quality goods would benefit both the planet and individual households, fostering a sense of security and reducing waste. Decades ago, items were built to last, but capitalism’s relentless pursuit of profit shifted priorities toward planned obsolescence, where replacing products became more profitable than making them last. Reclaiming the value of durability and craftsmanship would bring stability and reduce the exploitation inherent in a throwaway culture.
This approach also offers an opportunity to redefine cultural norms around productivity and value. In a degrowth society, the emphasis would move away from relentless output and profit toward work that is meaningful, sustainable, and inclusive. For autistic individuals, this could mean access to jobs that align with their strengths and interests, unburdened by the pressures of fitting into a system that prizes uniformity and speed over quality and care. A society that values lasting contributions over endless consumption would not only benefit autistic people but create a better world for everyone.
Critiquing the Status Quo
Capitalist systems thrive on structural inequities, perpetuating a world where vulnerable populations, including autistic individuals, are often neglected or exploited. This neglect stems from an ideology that prioritises profit over people, operating on the assumption that capitalists can extract resources, pollute the environment, and destroy ecosystems without meaningful consequence. The pattern of privatising gains whilst socialising losses is evident in numerous environmental and social disasters: superfund sites left to taxpayers to clean up, widespread asbestos contamination that devastated communities, and other cases where corporate recklessness caused lasting harm. These costs are invariably borne by the public, whilst corporations walk away with profits intact, further entrenching inequality and leaving marginalised groups like autistic people to bear the brunt of systemic failures.
For autistic individuals, these inequities are particularly acute. Special education services are chronically underfunded, leaving many without the tailored support they need to succeed in school. High unemployment rates among autistic adults—often exceeding 80%—are another glaring failure, driven by workplace cultures that value conformity and efficiency over diverse skills and perspectives. Capitalism’s disregard for collective well-being exacerbates these issues, focusing instead on systems that exploit labour, reduce wages, and cut public services in the name of profit.
The promise of economic growth as a panacea for systemic inequities is nothing more than a mirage. GDP-focused policies consistently fail to improve the lives of autistic people because there is no meaningful connection between GDP and their standard of living. Whilst GDP measures total economic output, it often reflects activities that do little to enhance human well-being—such as speculative financial markets, environmentally destructive industries, and the relentless production of disposable goods. These metrics obscure the deeper inequities and systemic failures that marginalise vulnerable populations. As Hickel and Sullivan’s study demonstrates, a focus on targeted provisioning of essential services—such as universal access to housing, healthcare, and education—offers a far more effective path toward equity, addressing the specific barriers faced by autistic individuals without relying on abstract growth metrics.
The collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008 starkly illustrates how GDP-driven growth prioritises the profits of the powerful at the expense of ordinary people. The bank’s reckless speculation on mortgage-backed securities—a form of legalised gambling that ballooned housing prices and saddled families with unsustainable debts—triggered a global financial meltdown. The fallout ruined countless lives, as millions lost their homes, jobs, and savings. Yet, instead of holding the architects of this disaster accountable, the U.S. government orchestrated a bailout that ultimately protected the wealthiest institutions. Whilst ordinary families were left to rebuild their lives with little support, powerful banks like JP Morgan Chase and Citigroup swooped in to carve up Lehman Brothers’ assets, emerging even more profitable. This pattern—where public money is used to stabilise markets and preserve elite wealth whilst everyday people absorb the losses—epitomises the hollowness of GDP-centric policies and their inability to deliver genuine improvements in quality of life.
For autistic individuals, the systemic failures highlighted by the Lehman crisis are especially relevant. A GDP-driven economy offers no mechanisms to ensure equitable access to the resources autistic people need to thrive. Instead, it perpetuates cycles of underfunding essential services. By focusing on economic growth for its own sake, societies funnel resources into industries that exacerbate inequality rather than addressing the root causes of deprivation.
Hickel and Sullivan’s emphasis on targeted provisioning presents a crucial alternative. By reallocating resources toward universal systems of care—such as accessible housing, inclusive education, and comprehensive healthcare—societies can break the cycle of exploitation and inequity. This approach not only addresses the structural barriers faced by autistic individuals but also ensures that public resources are used to uplift communities rather than to line the pockets of the already wealthy. A shift away from growth-driven policies would prioritise human well-being over financial speculation, creating a society where everyone, including autistic people, can live with dignity and opportunity.
Final thoughts …
The study by Hickel and Sullivan offers a compelling vision for a better future, rooted in a needs-based approach to resource distribution that prioritises human flourishing and planetary health over relentless economic growth. At its core, this approach recognises that meeting essential needs—housing, healthcare, education, and access to resources—should be the foundation of societal progress, not an afterthought. Yet, implementing such a system requires challenging the deeply ingrained narratives that perpetuate economic inequities. Most of the working class in the Global North suffer from a form of Stockholm syndrome, identifying with and defending the very systems that exploit them. The stark reality is that they are far closer economically to a homeless person than to a billionaire, yet the illusion of upward mobility keeps them tethered to the status quo. The system, however, is stacked against them, making it extraordinarily difficult to move up economic classes and even harder to stay there. Wealth is concentrated among the few, and barriers to entry into this elite class are deliberately reinforced to prevent new competitors.
A shift to a needs-based system would not only create a more equitable society but would also offer profound benefits for autistic individuals, whose well-being is often overlooked in growth-driven models. A society that values equity and community would provide the infrastructure and support autistic people need to thrive, removing barriers to education, employment, and healthcare. Such a system would no longer measure success by the accumulation of wealth or the expansion of GDP but by the quality of life experienced by its people, including the most vulnerable.
This is not a utopian vision but a necessary rethinking of societal priorities. To achieve it, we must collectively advocate for policies that centre human needs, inclusivity, and sustainability. This means pushing for public provisioning systems, equitable resource distribution, and a cultural shift that values care and community over individual accumulation. The time has come to reject the myths of infinite growth and meritocracy and to build a world where everyone, regardless of neurodivergence or economic status, has the opportunity to live a dignified and meaningful life. The path forward is clear—it is up to us to demand it.