Following the Corona turmoil, which brought previously unimaginable supply chain bottlenecks and massive price increases for input materials, an unexpected energy shortage and increase in energy prices and an emerging reluctance to invest and consume are now exacerbating the economic situation of companies and households – as if the tight situation on the labor market were not already burdensome enough.
Awareness of “resilience” has now reached both executives and the general population. But very few are prepared for it. The idea of not being able to get everything at the snap of a finger is too foreign, the idea of having to stockpile more is too unfamiliar. Our entire society is still geared to delivering basically the same or higher performance with more effort. Are we making life unnecessarily difficult for ourselves?
Perhaps the concept of “sufficiency” can be helpful. What do we really need? What can we definitely do without? Doing without not only counteracts the strained market conditions, but also causes less resource consumption. Of course, economic output is reduced – until now a horror notion. But isn’t the gain in quality of life, in time for each other and in a contribution to environmental protection worth considering?
How can this be done? You are welcome to read about sustainable operations, the limits to growth, the consequences of economic growth, the need to make provisions for compensatory measures, and ways of implementing sustainable operations.
I wish you a reflective Christmas season and a good start into a better New Year!
Dr. Werner Boysen