11 August 2026
Caring, resting, and speaking out in a world on fire
Dear friends,
How are you doing these days? As fires rage, violence becomes background noise, and Europe braces through a seemingly unending heatwave, we hope you are all taking good care of yourselves and your communities. If the heat, fear, or rage is getting to you, we can recommend you check out these resources from GGN and these from CMHN. If you’ve been trying to use the occasion to start climate conversations with those around you, we can also recommend the advice from Renee Lertzman in her recent Substack piece ‘Hoping the heat will wake us up’. Our predicament isn’t new, but it is intensifying, and by taking care of ourselves and those around us we can be better prepared to respond, not just react.
Raising our voices can also be an act of care, and we’ve done some of that this summer, publishing responses to an influential opinion piece from the Financial Times and a recent report from the Columbia Center for Sustainable Development (links below).
We continue to speak on podcasts and were recently invited to join a global group challenging current understandings of fiduciary duty in the investment world.
All of this is a reminder that we–and you–are not alone. If you’d like a concrete reminder of that, stop by this month’s Happy Hour. We’ll be happy to see you. (Details at the end of this email.)
Take care and keep caring,
The Team at Arketa Institute
Arketa Institute defends degrowth and commends work at Columbia
In late June the Financial Times ran an opinion piece titled ‘The shrinking arguments for degrowth’ written by John Burn-Murdoch, the FT’s chief data reporter. In July, Arketa responded by arguing that such critiques of degrowth only serve to highlight the failing of our current economic system, namely that it puts profit over people and the planet.
Later in July, we drew attention to the excellent report from the Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment for pointing out the current limits of finance and policy in addressing climate risks. First, we must better understand the risks we face and then target the responses to those specific risks. That is currently not happening and needs to be pointed out.
We encourage all researchers to take the next step and question the efficacy of an economy and culture that puts economic growth above the wellbeing of its citizens.
Reforming Fiduciary Duty: Matt joins international Community of Practice
Matt was recently invited to join a Community of Practice (COP) focused on reforming the concept of fiduciary duty. The COP is made up of a number of global NGOs actively working to challenge the interpretation of fiduciary duty. Currently, “fiduciary responsibility” or “fiduciary duty” are frequently interpreted to prioritize maximizing financial returns above all other factors, which, in most jurisdictions, is not a legal requirement and has created negative impacts on society and the environment.
The group meets quarterly to share updates and insights arising from individual projects that could help shape the direction of the collective work. For those with time, there is also space for collaboration between members. Please get in touch if you are challenging the definition of fiduciary duty and would like to join us.
New Report on (Escaping) Extractivism from EY
Last month, EY’s Global New Economy Unit (NEU) published a report titled “From extractivism to regeneration”, co-authored by Anastasia Roussou and Nadia Woodhouse, with input from post-growth luminaries like Hans Stegeman and Tim Jackson.
The paper offers a strong critique of the extractivism embedded in our current economic system. It is significant to see this coming from EY, an established global accounting and consulting firm employing some 400,000 people in 150 countries around the world. We applaud the authors and hope to see these ideas gaining ground with their clients.
Find the full report here or check Matt’s Substack for a summary
Another Podcast Appearance
Matt appeared on the Samuel Tini podcast in July. Sam has spent decades working in African countries and other emerging markets, designing and implementing programmes that improve livelihoods while protecting the environment.
Matt and Sam talk about the mission of Arketa Institute, the difference between degrowth and austerity, why green growth won’t work. We talked about degrowth as a “diet” for countries in the Global North, and not a prescription for the Global South. We also talk about Arketa’s recent work on pensions and our plans for the future.
Samuel has interviewed post-growth and regeneration leaders such as Tim Jackson and Christopher Marquis and often highlights development and sustainability issues in Africa.
Calendar: Upcoming Events & Projects
Friday, August 28, 16:30-17:30 CEST / 10:30-11:30 EDT: Our next Postgrowth Finance Happy Hour! Drop in anytime to informally discuss Ecological Economics and finance with us. Please subscribe to the newsletter or write to us directly for the Zoom link.
Early Fall: We’re bringing together a global network of NGOs that work directly with pension funds to discuss engagement strategy and coordination. Let us know if you know of organizations we should invite.
October 1: Steve and Anastasia will present at the Swiss Association of Actuaries’ 2026 Sustainability in (Re-)Insurance Conference in Zurich, Switzerland.
October 6-8: Steve and Anastasia will be at Building Bridges in Geneva, Switzerland, co-hosting The Pension Paradox deliberative session on Wednesday, October 7th.
October 29: Matt is slated to speak at an event hosted by the Center for Sustainable Business at the University of Pittsburgh.
Curious what else we’ve been up to? Check out our news archive.
Arketa Institute for Post-Growth Finance
Contact Us | Linkedin | Unsubscribe
Written with love entirely by humans.