Rising prices, polluted rivers, collapsing ecosystems, falling wages and social breakdown. These are just some of the crises facing the world which Manchester-based Ethical Consumer magazine says are the result to profit-maximising behaviours. The solution? More co-ops.
In a recent essay, consultancy manager and director Rob Harrison argued that the current UK government plan to double the size of the co-operative economy by 2030, from 2% to 4% of the GDP, is not ambitious enough.
Instead, an ideal economy, as envisioned by Ethical Consumer, would have co-ops contribute 30% to the UK’s GDP.
“Given the climate, nature and equality emergencies,” wrote Harrison, “perhaps something of the pace of the now well-known ‘net zero by 2050’ transformation might be appropriate.”
Harrison made recommendations as to how to achieve the 30% figure, with the conversion of existing businesses alongside the launch of new co-operatives.
“We like to joke that this would mean converting Barclays into a mutual, converting Google to a consumer co-op, and selling Aldi to its workers,” he added.
The essay also recommends that co-ops use language placing themselves more centrally as a solution to the current crises and focus more resources on enabling existing businesses to convert.
“Democratic representation has transformed the political sphere and the same needs to happen now in the realm of business,” wrote Harrison. “This will likely involve lots of creative thinking – workers on boards, consumers on boards, even nature on boards – as well as simple conversions of the type we have seen in this past.
“There is a real opportunity for co-ops to think big.”
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The essay also suggested that new forms of public ownership with democratic representation could be part of the plans – with such conversations already being had around utilities in the UK, with examples from France showing what can be achieved.
The essay primarily focuses on the UK, but Ethical Consumer says the 30% target could apply globally.
A multistakeholder co-op, Ethical Consumer has recently launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise £50,000 to build capacity and do more work in this area.
Donations can be made at crowdfunder.co.uk/p/challenge-corporate-power
