The feasibility of green growth is studied in the context of climate change. As carbon emissions are easier to quantify than many other types of environmental pressure, it will be possible to reach a more definite conclusion about the likelihood of green growth than has been possible in the long-standing historical debate on growth versus the environment. This paper calculates the rate of decoupling between gross domestic product (GDP) and GHG emissions needed to achieve internationally agreed climate targets. Next, eight arguments are considered that together suggest that fast decoupling will be very difficult. Subsequently, this study examines the main lines of research used by proponents of green growth to support their viewpoint, including theoretical arguments, exercises with integrated assessment models, and studies of the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis. It will be concluded that decoupling as a main or single strategy to combine economic and environmental aims should be judged as taking a very large risk with our common future. To minimize this risk we need to seriously consider reducing our dependence on growth. This requires a fundamental change of focus in both economic research and policy.
A key area of public policy is the question of how, and how much, to protect the environment. At the heart of this has been the heated debate over the nature of the relationship between economic growth and environmental sustainability.
The paper studies two empirical correlations: one between economic growth and environmental impacts, and the other between the lack of economic growth and unemployment.
This publication, by UNEP, aims to identify the challenges faced in attempting to decouple human well‐being from resource consumption and exists as the first report amongst many investigations into decoupling which will be undertaken by the International Resource Panel and UNEP over the next few
In June 2009, the OECD Council Meeting at Ministerial Level (MCM) adopted a Declaration on Green Growth (OECD 2009a). The declaration invited the OECD to develop a Green Growth Strategy to achieve economic recovery and environmentally and socially sustainable economic growth.