Lorenz Keyßer
Contact
ORCID
Institutions
- Name
- Norbert Elias Center for Transformation Design & Research
- Position
- Doctoral candidate
- Name
- Universität Lausanne
- Position
- Doctoral candidate
- Floyd, J., Alexander, S., Lenzen, M., Moriarty, P., Palmer, G., Chandra-Shekeran, S., Foran, B., & Keyßer, L. (2020). Energy descent as a post-carbon transition scenario : How ‘knowledge humility’ reshapes energy futures for post-normal times. Futures, 122, 102565. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.futures.2020.102565
- Fontana, G., & Keyßer, L. (2020). Ohne Flugzeug um die Welt : Klimabewusst unterwegs und glücklich (1. Aufl. 2020). Lübbe Life.
- Hickel, J., Brockway, P., Kallis, G., Keyßer, L., Lenzen, M., Slameršak, A., Steinberger, J., & Ürge-Vorsatz, D. (2021). Urgent need for post-growth climate mitigation scenarios. Nature Energy, 1‑3. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41560-021-00884-9
- Keyßer, L., Steinberger, J., & Schmelzer, M. (2025). Economic growth dependencies and imperatives : A review of key theories and their conflicts. Ecological Economics, 238, 108745. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2025.108745
- Keyßer, L. T., & Lenzen, M. (2021). 1.5 °C degrowth scenarios suggest the need for new mitigation pathways. Nature Communications, 12(1), Article 1. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-22884-9
- Kikstra, J. S., Li, M., Brockway, P. E., Hickel, J., Keysser, L., Malik, A., Rogelj, J., van Ruijven, B., & Lenzen, M. (2024). Downscaling down under : Towards degrowth in integrated assessment models. Economic Systems Research, 0(0), 1‑31. https://doi.org/10.1080/09535314.2023.2301443
- Lenzen, M., Keyβer, L., & Hickel, J. (2022). Degrowth scenarios for emissions neutrality. Nature Food, 1‑2. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-022-00516-9
- Li, M., Keyßer, L., Kikstra, J. S., Hickel, J., Brockway, P. E., Dai, N., Malik, A., & Lenzen, M. (2023). Integrated assessment modelling of degrowth scenarios for Australia. Economic Systems Research, 0(0), 1‑31. https://doi.org/10.1080/09535314.2023.2245544
- Wiedmann, T., Lenzen, M., Keyßer, L. T., & Steinberger, J. K. (2020). Scientists’ warning on affluence. Nature Communications, 11(1), Article 1. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-16941-y
- Keyßer, L., Steinberger, J., & Schmelzer, M. (2025). Economic growth dependencies and imperatives : A review of key theories and their conflicts. Ecological Economics, 238, 108745. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2025.108745
Doctoral Project
Today's societies are based on the pursuit of economic growth: a lack of growth is perceived as a socially damaging crisis. These societies are subject to economic growth dependencies and imperatives (GDIs). Overcoming these is the declared goal of the post-growth/degrowth movement. However, beyond a basic consensus, there is considerable debate, including on a central question: where do our society's GDIs come from, and what needs to be changed in order to overcome them? This question therefore forms my main research question and I plan to answer it in three publications.
To begin with, a systematic literature review of 248 publications recently published in Ecological Economics collects 112 different GDI mechanisms in 21 groups and six overarching themes (Keyßer et al., 2025). Conflicts between theories result primarily from conflicting views on the neutrality of fundamental social structures such as the monetary economy, market competition, private property and the state, as well as the specific roles of ideology, knowledge and culture.
The second project develops a new GDI theory that takes a position on these conflicts, based on anarchist and non-market socialist theory. This theory is based on a critical-realist philosophical foundation and argues in detail how GDIs are rooted in the social structures of the state, capital and the monetary economy. The publication also provides some empirical examples that are well explained by the theory and, building on this, outlines a research agenda.
Thirdly, the final project develops the political and strategic implications of the new GDI theory from the second project for overcoming GDI. In doing so, it develops a specific, mass anarchist perspective on post-growth/degrowth, criticizes the existing post-growth/degrowth strategy and develops alternatives. In doing so, I draw on classical and modern anarchist literature.