#92 - Timothée Parrique - "You can’t save the climate with capitalism"

#92 - Timothée Parrique - "You can’t save the climate with capitalism"

Author: Hugo Rauch May 12, 2026 Duration: 1:01:44

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🌊 Can Capitalism Survive the Planetary Boundaries?

We’re joined by Timothée Parrique (website), researcher in ecological economics at the University of Lausanne and one of the leading voices challenging the idea that endless economic growth can coexist with a finite planet.

In this episode, we dive into the uncomfortable tension between capitalism, climate innovation, and ecological limits, and unpack what it would actually take to build an economy that operates within planetary boundaries.

From venture capital and climate tech to sufficiency, cooperation, and post-capitalist systems, this conversation pushes far beyond the usual climate debate.

In our conversation, we covered:

→ Why climate change may be the easiest ecological crisis to solve

→ The difference between innovation… and “exnovation”

→ Why green growth hasn’t reduced ecological overshoot fast enough

→ Why capitalism structurally depends on expansion and growth

→ The limits of venture-backed climate solutions

→ Why policy alone won’t solve the transition

→ The role of NGOs, cooperatives, and non-profit models in a post-growth economy

→ Why degrowth is not collapse, but a planned downscaling of production and consumption

→ The hidden contradiction between finance and nature

→ Why cooperation, not competition, may define the next economic system

✨ Leave a review and share the episode if this conversation challenged the way you think about growth, innovation, and sustainability.



This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newwavenewsletter.substack.com

Hugo Rauch hosts New Wave, a podcast that lives at the intersection of business ambition and scientific reality. This isn't about distant predictions or abstract science; it's a grounded exploration of the technologies and companies being built right now to address our environmental future. Each episode focuses on the practical journey, dissecting the models, the breakthroughs, and the hard decisions that define the climate tech landscape. You'll hear from founders, researchers, and investors who are actively shaping this space, getting into the specifics of what works, what doesn't, and why. The conversations move beyond hype to examine the tangible mechanics of creating viable solutions, from energy storage and sustainable materials to carbon removal and regenerative agriculture. It’s for anyone who thinks about the climate challenge not just as a crisis, but as a complex and urgent field of innovation. By tuning into this podcast, you gain a clearer understanding of the economic forces and scientific principles driving the next generation of environmental solutions. New Wave connects the dots between the lab, the boardroom, and the impact we need to see in the world, offering a sober yet optimistic look at where substantive progress is truly being made.
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