Responsibilities towards places in a degrowth society: How firms can become more responsible via embracing deep ecology

Abstract

This article contemplates and proposes responsibilities towards places. Such responsibilities cannot be reduced to a mere sum of responsibilities towards humans and nature. Rather, they form a pathway to think about humans, non-humans, and nature in a way that brings to the surface their deep and place-based inter-connection. Coming from the perspective that a degrowth society is desirable, the article aims to contribute to the body of knowledge on degrowth transformations. To understand deeper how responsibilities towards places can be enacted, I rely on the philosophy of deep ecology and suggest that each firm can develop and manifest in its practices its own ecosophy. I conclude that contemplating responsibilities towards places can be a space where degrowth scholars and scholars of corporate social responsibility can meet in a mutually enriching dialogue.