Agrowth

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Agrowth is a concept in economic policy according to which it is preferable to be indifferent to the growth of gross domestic product (GDP growth) when devising policies to further economic and societal progress. [1] [2] The reasoning behind agrowth is that GDP growth does not correlate closely with such progress. [3] [4]

The concept has been particularly discussed in the context of environmental policy, where it is opposed to both green growth and degrowth. [4] Agrowth is supported by many scientists. [2] [5] [6]

See also

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Sustainable development is an approach to growth and human development that aims to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The aim is to have a society where living conditions and resources meet human needs without undermining planetary integrity. Sustainable development aims to balance the needs of the economy, environment, and social well-being. The Brundtland Report in 1987 helped to make the concept of sustainable development better known.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uneconomic growth</span> Economic growth that reflects or creates a decline in the quality of life

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ecological economics</span> Interdependence of human economies and natural ecosystems

Ecological economics, bioeconomics, ecolonomy, eco-economics, or ecol-econ is both a transdisciplinary and an interdisciplinary field of academic research addressing the interdependence and coevolution of human economies and natural ecosystems, both intertemporally and spatially. By treating the economy as a subsystem of Earth's larger ecosystem, and by emphasizing the preservation of natural capital, the field of ecological economics is differentiated from environmental economics, which is the mainstream economic analysis of the environment. One survey of German economists found that ecological and environmental economics are different schools of economic thought, with ecological economists emphasizing strong sustainability and rejecting the proposition that physical (human-made) capital can substitute for natural capital.

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Eco-capitalism, also known as environmental capitalism or (sometimes) green capitalism, is the view that capital exists in nature as "natural capital" on which all wealth depends. Therefore, governments should use market-based policy-instruments to resolve environmental problems.

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Sustainability is a social goal for people to co-exist on Earth over a long period of time. Definitions of this term are disputed and have varied with literature, context, and time. Sustainability usually has three dimensions : environmental, economic, and social. Many definitions emphasize the environmental dimension. This can include addressing key environmental problems, including climate change and biodiversity loss. The idea of sustainability can guide decisions at the global, national, organizational, and individual levels. A related concept is that of sustainable development, and the terms are often used to mean the same thing. UNESCO distinguishes the two like this: "Sustainability is often thought of as a long-term goal, while sustainable development refers to the many processes and pathways to achieve it."

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Green growth is a concept in economic theory and policymaking used to describe paths of economic growth that are environmentally sustainable. It is based on the understanding that as long as economic growth remains a predominant goal, a decoupling of economic growth from resource use and adverse environmental impacts is required. As such, green growth is closely related to the concepts of green economy and low-carbon or sustainable development. A main driver for green growth is the transition towards sustainable energy systems. Advocates of green growth policies argue that well-implemented green policies can create opportunities for employment in sectors such as renewable energy, green agriculture, or sustainable forestry.

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The economics of climate change mitigation is a contentious part of climate change mitigation – action aimed to limit the dangerous socio-economic and environmental consequences of climate change.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Circular economy</span> Production model to minimise wastage and emissions

A circular economy is a model of resource production and consumption in any economy that involves sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing, and recycling existing materials and products for as long as possible. The concept aims to tackle global challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, waste, and pollution by emphasizing the design-based implementation of the three base principles of the model. The main three principles required for the transformation to a circular economy are: designing out waste and pollution, keeping products and materials in use, and regenerating natural systems. CE is defined in contradistinction to the traditional linear economy.

Conspicuous conservation describes consumers who purchase environmentally friendly products in order to signal a higher social status.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Post-growth</span> Beyond optimum economic growth

Post-growth is a stance on economic growth concerning the limits-to-growth dilemma — recognition that, on a planet of finite material resources, extractive economies and populations cannot grow infinitely. The term "post-growth" acknowledges that economic growth can generate beneficial effects up to a point, but beyond that point it is necessary to look for other indicators and techniques to increase human wellbeing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeroen C. J. M. van den Bergh</span> Dutch environmental economist

Jeroen Cornelis Johannes Maria van den Bergh is an environmental economist of Dutch origin. As of January 2015 he was ICREA Research Professor at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and deputy director for Research of its Institute of Environmental Science and Technology, and professor of Environmental and Resource Economics at VU University Amsterdam.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corporate environmental responsibility</span>

Corporate environmental responsibility (CER) refers to a company's duties to abstain from damaging natural environments. The term derives from corporate social responsibility (CSR).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giorgos Kallis</span>

Giorgos Kallis is an ecological economist from Greece. He is an ICREA Research Professor at ICTA - Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, where he teaches political ecology. He is one of the principal advocates of the theory of degrowth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Growth imperative</span> Economic concept

Growth imperative is a term in economic theory regarding a possible necessity of economic growth. On the micro level, it describes mechanisms that force firms or consumers (households) to increase revenues or consumption to not endanger their income. On the macro level, a political growth imperative exists if economic growth is necessary to avoid economic and social instability or to retain democratic legitimacy, so that other political goals such as climate change mitigation or a reduction of inequality are subordinated to growth policies.

References

  1. van den Bergh, Jeroen C.J.M. (March 2011). "Environment versus growth — A criticism of 'degrowth' and a plea for 'a-growth'". Ecological Economics. 70 (5): 881–890. doi:10.1016/j.ecolecon.2010.09.035.
  2. 1 2 Savin, Ivan; King, Lewis (20 September 2023). "Idea of green growth losing traction among climate policy researchers, survey of nearly 800 academics reveals". The Conversation.
  3. Kalimeris, Panos; Richardson, Clive; Bithas, Kostas (March 2014). "A meta-analysis investigation of the direction of the energy-GDP causal relationship: implications for the growth-degrowth dialogue". Journal of Cleaner Production. 67: 1–13. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2013.12.040.
  4. 1 2 "The new theory of economic 'agrowth' contributes to the viability of climate policies". ScienceDaily (Press release). Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. 10 March 2017.
  5. van den Bergh, Jeroen C. J. M. (February 2017). "A third option for climate policy within potential limits to growth". Nature Climate Change. 7 (2): 107–112. Bibcode:2017NatCC...7..107V. doi:10.1038/nclimate3113. hdl: 1871.1/55d55cfa-2617-4e8a-b21c-fbc02ee19eea .
  6. Lehmann, Cathérine; Delbard, Olivier; Lange, Steffen (February 2022). "Green growth, a-growth or degrowth? Investigating the attitudes of environmental protection specialists at the German Environment Agency". Journal of Cleaner Production. 336: 130306. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.130306. S2CID   245721607.