green growth

Green growth and related concepts stem from the observation that economic growth of the past 250 years has come largely at the expense of the environment upon which economic activities rely. The concept of green growth assumes that economic growth and development can continue while associated negative impacts on the environment, including climate change, are reduced – or while the natural environment continues to provide ecosystem services –, meaning that a decoupling takes place.{{cite web |last1=Green Growth Knowledge Platform |title=Inclusive Green Growth |url=https://www.greengrowthknowledge.org/sites/default/files/WB-GREEN-GROWTH-INFOGRAPHIC.pdf |access-date=17 April 2021}}{{cite web |last1=Green Growth Knowledge Platform |title=Explore Green Growth |date=19 February 2016 |url=https://www.greengrowthknowledge.org/page/explore-green-growth |access-date=17 April 2021}}{{cite web |last1=OECD |title=Green growth and sustainable development |url=https://www.oecd.org/greengrowth/ |access-date=17 April 2021}}{{cite book |last1=Jacobs |first1=Michael |editor1-last=Falkner |editor1-first=Robert |title=The Handbook of Global Climate and Environment Policy |date=2013 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |url=https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118326213.ch12 |access-date=17 April 2021 |chapter=Green Growth|pages=197–214 |doi=10.1002/9781118326213.ch12 |isbn=9781118326213 }}

On the subject of decoupling, a distinction is made between relative and absolute decoupling: Relative decoupling occurs when environmental pressure still grows, but less so than the gross domestic product (GDP). With absolute decoupling, an absolute reduction in resource use or emissions occurs, while the economy grows.{{cite book |last1=Jackson |first1=Tim |title=Prosperity without Growth: Foundations for the Economy of Tomorrow |date=2017 |publisher=Routledge |location=London |doi=10.4324/9781315677453 |isbn=9781317388227 |url=https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315677453}}

Further distinctions are made based on what is taken into account: decoupling economic growth from resource use (resource decoupling) or from environmental pressure (impact decoupling), different indicators for economic growth and environmental pressures (e.g. resource use, emissions, biodiversity loss), only the domestic level or also impacts along the global value chain, the entire economy or individual sectors (e.g. energy, agriculture), temporary vs. permanent decoupling, or decoupling to reach certain targets (e.g. limiting global warming to 1.5 °C or staying within planetary boundaries).{{cite book |last1=Parrique |first1=T |last2=Barth |first2=J |last3=Briens |first3=F |last4=Kerschner |first4=C |last5=Kraus-Polk |first5=A |last6=Kuokkanen |first6=A |last7=Spangenberg |first7=J.H |title=Decoupling debunked: Evidence and arguments against green growth as a sole strategy for sustainability |date=2019 |publisher=European Environmental Bureau |url=https://eeb.org/library/decoupling-debunked/}}{{cite book |last1=Richters |first1=Oliver |title=Grünes Wachstum |date=2020 |url=https://www.oliver-richters.de/files/oliver-richters-2020-gruenes-wachstum.pdf |access-date=17 April 2021 |language=German}}

While the related concepts of green growth, green economy and low-carbon development have received increasing international attention in recent years, the debate on growing environmental degradation in the face of economic growth dates back several decades. It was for example discussed in the 1972 report The Limits to Growth by the Club of Rome and reflected in the I = PAT-equation developed in the early 1970s. The consequent understanding of the need for a sustainable development was in the focus of the 1987 Brundtland Report as well as the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), or Earth Summit, in Rio de Janeiro in 1992.{{cite book |last1=UN-DESA |title=A Guidebook to the Green Economy - Issue 1: Green Economy, Green Growth, and Low-Carbon Development - history, definitions and a guide to recent publications |date=2012 |url=https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/index.php?page=view&type=400&nr=634&menu=35 |access-date=17 April 2021}} The Environmental Kuznets curve (EKC), theorizing that environmental pressure from economic growth first increases, then automatically decreases due in part to tertiarization, is disputed. Further influential developments include work by the economists Nicholas Stern and William Nordhaus, making the case for integrating environmental concerns into economic activities: The 2006 Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change assessed the economic costs and risks of climate change and concluded that “the benefits of strong and early action far outweigh the economic costs of not acting”.{{cite book |last1=Stern |first1=Nicholas |title=The Economics of Climate Change: The Stern Review |date=2006 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |doi=10.1017/CBO9780511817434 |hdl=11362/38452 |isbn=9780511817434 |s2cid=128711146 |url=https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511817434}}

The term “green growth” originates from the Asia Pacific Region and first emerged at the Fifth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Development (MCED) in Seoul, South Korea in 2005, where the Seoul Initiative Network on Green Growth was founded. Several international organisations had since turned their attention to green growth, in part as a way out of the financial crisis of 2007–2008: At the request of countries, the OECD in 2011 published a Green Growth Strategy{{cite book |last1=OECD |title=Towards Green Growth |date=2011 |url=https://www.oecd.org/env/towards-green-growth-9789264111318-en.htm}} and in 2012, the World Bank, UNEP, OECD and GGGI launched the Green Growth Knowledge Platform (GGKP).

The related concepts of green growth, green economy and low-carbon development are sometimes used differently by different organisations but are also used interchangeably. Some organisation also include social aspects in their definitions.

The report "Growth Within: A Circular Economy Vision for a Competitive Europe" predicts that there are many opportunities in recycling, producing longer-lasting products and offering maintenance services from the manufacturer.[https://www.iisd.org/library/estimating-employment-effects-circular-economy Estimating Employment Effects of the Circular Economy]

According to the International Labour Organization, a shift to a greener economy could create 24 million new jobs globally by 2030, if the right policies are put in place. Also, if a transition to a green economy were not to take place, 72 million full-time jobs may be lost by 2030 due to heat stress, and the temperature increases will lead to shorter available work hours, particularly in agriculture.[https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/blog/2019/04/green-economy-could-create-24-million-new-jobs/ Green economy could create 24 million new jobs][https://www.ilo.org/global/research/global-reports/weso/greening-with-jobs/lang--en/index.htm Greening with jobs – World Employment and Social Outlook 2018]Tobias, Kruse. [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/330082755_Employment_Implications_of_Green_Growth_Linking_jobs_growth_and_green_policies_OECD_REPORT_FOR_THE_G7_ENVIRONMENT_MINISTERS Employment Implications of Green Growth: Linking jobs, growth, and green policies] June 2017.{{Cite web|date=2018-05-14|title=Jobs in the green economy will 'more than offset' losses in traditional industry by 2030 – UN labour agency|url=https://news.un.org/en/story/2018/05/1009622|access-date=2021-05-05|website=UN News|language=en}}[https://www.researchgate.net/publication/336059539_Green_jobs_as_an_unemployment_solution Green jobs as an unemployment solution]

According to a 2020 report by the Green Alliance the job-creation schemes with the best value for money in the UK are: retrofitting buildings and creating cycle lanes; followed by electric ferries, battery factories and reforestation; and that these would create more jobs than proposed road-building schemes.{{Cite news|last=Harrabin|first=Roger|date=2020-06-29|title=Extra £14bn needed a year for climate, report says|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/business-53214997|access-date=2020-06-29}} They also say that new investment in nature recovery could quickly create 10,000 new jobs.{{Cite report|last1=Venables and Joanna Furtado|first1=Chris|last2=Furtado|first2=Joanna|title=Blueprint for a resilient economy|url=https://www.green-alliance.org.uk/resources/Blueprint_for_a_resilient_economy.pdf|date=June 2020|publisher=Green Alliance}}

One metric commonly used to measure the resource use of economies is domestic material consumption (DMC). The European Union, for example, uses the DMC the measure its resource productivity.{{Cite web|title=Material flow accounts and resource productivity|url=https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Material_flow_accounts_and_resource_productivity#:~:text=Consumption%20by%20material%20category,-An%20analysis%20of&text=The%20total%20DMC%20of%20the,approximately%20a%20quarter%20of%20DMC.|website=Eurostat|language=en|access-date=2020-12-17}} Based on this metric, it has been claimed that some developed countries have achieved relative or even absolute decoupling of material use from economic growth.{{cite journal |last1=Wiedmann |first1=Thomas O. |last2=Schandl |first2=Heinz |last3=Lenzen |first3=Manfred |last4=Moran |first4=Daniel |last5=Suh |first5=Sangwon |last6=West |first6=James |last7=Kanemoto |first7=Keiichiro |title=The material footprint of nations |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America |date=2015 |volume=112 |issue=20 |pages=6271–6276 |doi=10.1073/pnas.1220362110 |pmid=24003158 |pmc=4443380 |bibcode=2015PNAS..112.6271W |doi-access=free }} The DMC, however, does not consider the shift of resource use which results from global supply chains, which is why another proposed metric is the material footprint (MF). The MF aims to encompass the resource use from the beginning of a production chain to its end, meaning from where raw materials are extracted to where the product or service is consumed. Research based on the MF indicates that resource use might be growing similarly to GDP for a number of countries, as for example for the EU-27 or the member countries of the OECD.

• IEA: In 2020 the IEA published a strategy towards a "Clean Energy New Deal",{{Cite web|title=Ensuring Green Growth in a Time of Economic Crisis – Analysis|url=https://www.iea.org/reports/ensuring-green-growth-in-a-time-of-economic-crisis|website=IEA|date=23 April 2009 |language=en-GB|access-date=2020-05-18}} which is being strongly promoted by executive director Fatih Birol.{{Cite news|last=Ambrose|first=Jillian|date=2020-04-30|title=Covid-19 crisis will wipe out demand for fossil fuels, says IEA|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/apr/30/covid-19-crisis-demand-fossil-fuels-iea-renewable-electricity|access-date=2020-05-18|issn=0261-3077}}
• IMF: In 2020 Kristalina Georgieva, the head of the IMF, urged governments to invest emergency loans in green sectors, scrap subsidies to fossil fuels and tax carbon.{{Cite web|title=IMF chief: $1 trillion post-coronavirus stimulus must tackle climate crisis|url=https://www.climatechangenews.com/2020/04/29/imf-chief-1-trillion-post-coronavirus-stimulus-must-tackle-climate-crisis/|date=2020-04-29|website=Climate Home News|language=en|access-date=2020-05-18}}
• UNESCAP: In 2012, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific released the [https://web.archive.org/web/20130803062252/http://www.unescap.org/esd/environment/lcgg/ Low Carbon Green Growth Roadmap for Asia and the Pacific] to explore the opportunities that a low carbon green growth path offers to the region. The roadmap articulates five tracks on which to drive the economic system change necessary to pursue low carbon green growth as a new economic development path.{{cite web |url=http://www.unescap.org/esd/environment/lcgg/ |title=UNESCAP (Environment and Development Division) |access-date=2013-08-01 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130803062252/http://www.unescap.org/esd/environment/lcgg/ |archive-date=2013-08-03 }}
• OECD: In 2011 the OECD published a strategy towards green growth.{{Cite web|title=Green growth and sustainable development - OECD|url=https://www.oecd.org/greengrowth/|website=www.oecd.org|access-date=2020-05-18}} In 2012, they also published a report on green growth and developing countries.{{Cite web|date=2012|title=Green Growth and Developing Countries: A Summary for Policy Makers|url=https://www.oecd.org/dac/50526354.pdf|access-date=2021-05-05|website=OECD}}
• UNEP: In 2008, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) led the Green Economy Initiative.{{cite web |url=http://www.unep.org/greeneconomy/ |title=UNEP - Green Economy - Home |access-date=2011-08-30 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928005809/http://unep.org/greeneconomy/ |archive-date=September 28, 2011 }}
• World Bank: In 2012, the World Bank published its report "Inclusive Green Growth: The Pathway to Sustainable Development".[http://www.worldbank.org/inclusivegreengrowth Sustainable Development - Getting to Inclusive Green Growth]
• International Chamber of Commerce (ICC): In 2010, ICC launched the unique global business Task Force on Green Economy resulting in the [http://www.iccwbo.org/Products-and-Services/Trade-facilitation/Green-Economy-Roadmap/ Green Economy Roadmap], a guide for business, policymakers and society published in 2012.[http://www.iccwbo.org/About-ICC/Policy-Commissions/Environment-and-Energy/Task-Force/ ICC Green Economy Taskforce] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130903071708/http://www.iccwbo.org/about-icc/policy-commissions/environment-and-energy/task-force/ |date=2013-09-03 }}[http://www.iccwbo.org/Products-and-Services/Trade-facilitation/Green-Economy-Roadmap/ ICC Green Economy Roadmap]

• Global Green Growth Institute: Founded in 2010 by Korean President Lee Myung-bak and later GGGI was first launched as a think tank in 2010 by Korean President Lee Myung-bak{{cite web|title=About GGGI: Organizational Overview|url=http://gggi.org/about-gggi/background/organizational-overview/|archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20150604163254/http://gggi.org/about-gggi/background/organizational-overview/|url-status=dead|archive-date=4 June 2015|publisher=Global Green Growth Institute|access-date=16 July 2014}} and was later converted into an international treaty-based organization in 2012 at the Rio+20 Summit in Brazil.{{cite web|title=Green Growth for All: Converting the Global Green Growth Institute|url=http://www.uncsd2012.org/index.php?page=view&type=1000&nr=323&menu=126|publisher=United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development|access-date=16 July 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905163317/http://www.uncsd2012.org/index.php?page=view&nr=323&type=1000&menu=126|archive-date=5 September 2015}}
• Green Growth Knowledge Platform: In January 2012, the Global Green Growth Institute, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and World Bank signed a Memorandum of Understanding to formally launch the Green Growth Knowledge Platform (GGKP).[http://www.greengrowthknowledge.org/SiteCollectionDocuments/Mexico%20City%20Conference%20Papers%20and%20Presentations/GGKP%20MoU%20and%20Conference%20Press%20Release%20(English)-%20FINAL.pdf 2012 Annual Conference | Green Growth Knowledge Platform] The GGKP's mission is to enhance and expand efforts to identify and address major knowledge gaps in green growth theory and practice, and to help countries design and implement policies to move towards a green economy.[http://www.greengrowthknowledge.org/pages/About.aspx Pages - About - Green Growth Knowledge Platform]

• China: since at least 2006 (with its 11th 5-Year Plan), China has been committed to achieving a green economy.{{Cite web|title=Green growth in action: China|url=https://www.oecd.org/china/greengrowthinactionchina.htm|access-date=2021-05-05|website=OECD}}[https://www.oecd.org/env/country-reviews/PR-China-Green-Growth-Progress-Report-2018.pdf China’s progress towards green growth] Emissions growth in recent years has decelerated sharply, underpinned by tighter environmental regulations and massive green investments, including in renewable energy and electric vehicle infrastructure. China's national emissions trading system (ETS) — which will be rolled out to the power sector in 2020 — could help facilitate the shift to cleaner energy. For price signals to be effective however, power producers need to compete, allowing less polluting and more efficient ones to trade freely and expand their market share (which has not yet been the case in 2020.){{Cite web|last=Huang|first=Sebastian Eckardt, Martin Raiser, and Dafei|date=2020-02-04|title=The decoupling the world is waiting for: China's green growth breakthrough|url=https://www.brookings.edu/blog/future-development/2020/02/04/the-decoupling-the-world-is-waiting-for-chinas-green-growth-breakthrough/|access-date=2021-05-05|website=Brookings|language=en-US}}{{Cite journal|last1=Weng|first1=Qingqing|last2=Xu|first2=He|last3=Ji|first3=Yijun|date=February 2018|title=Growing a green economy in China|journal=IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science|volume=121|issue=5|pages=052082|doi=10.1088/1755-1315/121/5/052082|bibcode=2018E&ES..121e2082W|issn=1755-1307|doi-access=free}} China also has an impact on the implementation of environmental technologies throughout Asia, via its Belt and Road Initiative International Green Development Coalition.
• EU: In 2010, the EU adopted the Europe 2020 strategy for “smart, sustainable and inclusive growth” for the 10-year period 2010–2020.{{cite web |last1=European Commission |title=Green growth and circular economy |url=https://ec.europa.eu/environment/green-growth/index_en.htm |access-date=14 April 2021}} In 2019, the European Green Deal was launched as “Europe’s new growth strategy” with the aim of making the continent's economy sustainable.{{cite web |last1=European Commission |title=A European Green Deal |url=https://ec.europa.eu/info/strategy/priorities-2019-2024/european-green-deal_en |access-date=14 April 2021}} Eastern European businesses currently fall behind their Southern European counterparts in terms of the average quality of their green management practices, notably in terms of specified energy consumption and emissions objectives.{{Cite web |title=Pathways to Sustainable Energy |url=https://unece.org/DAM/energy/se/pdfs/CSE/Publications/Final_Report_PathwaysToSE.pdf}}
• South Korea: Green growth is being discussed in the National Assembly in 2020.{{Cite news|last=Watts|first=Jonathan|date=2020-05-23|title=Could a green new deal turn South Korea from climate villain to model?|language=en-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/23/could-a-green-new-deal-turn-south-korea-from-climate-villain-to-model|access-date=2020-05-23|issn=0261-3077}}
• United Kingdom: Green growth was strongly advocated in 2020 by the Committee on Climate Change.{{Cite web|title=CCC boss: Green and resilient economic recovery can push UK towards net-zero target|url=https://www.edie.net/news/11/CCC-boss--Green-and-resilient-economic-recovery-can-push-UK-towards-net-zero-target/|website=edie.net|language=en|access-date=2020-05-18}}
• United States: President Barack Obama took several steps toward green growth. He believes that by investing in the future, energy production will not only reduce the dependency on foreign energy sources but will also create jobs and a 'clean-energy economy'. Obama had a goal of installing 10 gigawatts of renewable projects by 2020, doubling the wind and solar energy production by 2025, and to develop such policies, which will help to shape the nation's green economy.{{Cite web|title = Advancing American Energy|url = https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/energy/securing-american-energy#energy-menu|access-date = 2015-04-25|url-status = live|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170120214842/https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/energy/securing-american-energy#energy-menu|via = National Archives|work = whitehouse.gov|archive-date = 2017-01-20}} A 2014 report by the Center for American Progress quantified the levels of investment necessary for the US to attain green growth, while meeting the levels of emission reduction spelled out by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).{{Cite news |url=https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/reports/2014/09/18/96404/green-growth/|title=Green Growth: A U.S. Program for Controlling Climate Change and Expanding Job Opportunities|last=Pollin|first=Robert|display-authors=etal|date=September 18, 2014|work=Center for American Progress|access-date=2018-11-14|language=en-US|author-link=Robert Pollin}} In 2019, Democratic members of Congress introduced the Green New Deal resolution to create an umbrella for future government programs.{{cite news |last1=Whyte |first1=Chelsea |title=Green New Deal proposal includes free higher education and fair pay |url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/2193592-green-new-deal-proposal-includes-free-higher-education-and-fair-pay/ |access-date=4 May 2019 |work=The New Scientist |publisher=New Scientist Ltd. |date=12 February 2019}}{{cite web |last1=Ocasio-Cortez |first1=Alexandria |title=H.R. 109 - Recognizing the duty of the Federal Government to create a Green New Deal |url=https://ocasio-cortez.house.gov/sites/ocasio-cortez.house.gov/files/Resolution%20on%20a%20Green%20New%20Deal.pdf |website=Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (website) |publisher=House.gov |access-date=4 May 2019 |archive-date=11 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200511051217/https://ocasio-cortez.house.gov/sites/ocasio-cortez.house.gov/files/Resolution%20on%20a%20Green%20New%20Deal.pdf |url-status=dead }}
• Japan: In 2021, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry proposed the "Green Growth Strategy Through Achieving Carbon Neutrality in 2050” plan achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.{{Cite web |title="Green Growth Strategy Through Achieving Carbon Neutrality in 2050" Formulated |url=https://www.meti.go.jp/english/press/2020/1225_001.html |access-date=2022-12-07 |website=www.meti.go.jp}} There are 14 growth sectors identified in the strategy, categorized into 3 main industries: the energy-related industries, transportation/manufacturing-related industries, and home/office-related industries.{{Cite web |title=Japan's Green Growth Strategy Will Accelerate Innovation |url=https://www.japan.go.jp/kizuna/2021/09/green_growth_strategy.html |access-date=2022-12-07 |website=The Government of Japan - JapanGov - |language=en}} Furthermore, this strategy established a Green Innovation Fund worth 2 trillion JPY (18.2 billion USD) that aims to fund research and development and social implementation, as well as hoping to inspire private companies to also invest in their green growth R&D.

Developing countries tend to have economies which are more reliant on exploiting the environment’s natural resources. Green technologies and sustainable development are not as affordable or accessible to them.{{Cite journal|last1=P|first1=Shreekaracharya|last2=Sequeira|first2=A. H.|date=2012|title=A Model of Green Economy for Developing Countries|url=http://www.ssrn.com/abstract=2192369|journal=SSRN Electronic Journal|language=en|doi=10.2139/ssrn.2192369|s2cid=155953278|issn=1556-5068}} At the same time, they are less able to protect themselves from the adverse effects of climate change and environmental degradation. They can face adverse health effects of polluted air and water, for example. Therefore, Green Growth could help improve the livelihoods and wellbeing of those in developing countries by protecting the environment and fostering economic growth.

In 2012, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) drafted a report on Green Growth and developing countries as a summary for policy makers. This report outlines a policy framework that can be used by developing countries to achieve environmental and socio-economic goals. It also notes some concerns for Green Growth held by developing countries such as its ability to address poverty in practice and possible high cost barriers to green technologies.

Energy sources that meet the requirements of green growth must fit the criteria of the efficient use of natural resources, affordability, access, the prevention of environmental degradation, low health impacts, and high energy security.{{Cite journal|last=Rogner|first=Holger|date=2012|title=Green Growth and Nuclear Energy|url=https://www.ifo.de/DocDL/dicereport412-report2.pdf|journal=CESifo DICE|volume=|pages=|via=}} Renewable energy sources, including nuclear power, increase the power supply options for our current and future populations, and meet sustainable development requirements. While solar, wind, and nuclear energy have nearly no negative interactions with the environment when generating electricity, there is waste and emission connected to material extraction, manufacturing, and construction.{{Cite web|last=Viaintermedia.com|title=- Waste in the Renewable Energy Industry and How We Can Sustainably Power Our World|url=https://www.renewableenergymagazine.com/emily-folk/waste-in-the-renewable-energy-industry-and-20200305|access-date=2021-01-11|website=Renewable Energy Magazine, at the heart of clean energy journalism|date=5 March 2020 |language=en}} Overall, all renewable energy sources are a fundamental part of a nation's green growth strategy. Nuclear,{{Cite web|last=Kugelmass|first=Bret|author-link=Bret Kugelmass |title=Want to stop climate change? Embrace the nuclear option.|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2020/01/22/climate-change-solution-nuclear-energy-our-best-hope-column/2821183001/|access-date=2021-01-11|website=USA TODAY|language=en-US}} wind,{{Cite web|title=Wind energy is a vital climate solution {{!}} Union of Concerned Scientists|url=https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/wind-energy-vital-climate-solution|access-date=2021-01-11|website=www.ucsusa.org|language=en}} and solar energy{{Cite journal|last1=Masson|first1=Valéry|last2=Bonhomme|first2=Marion|last3=Salagnac|first3=Jean-Luc|last4=Briottet|first4=Xavier|last5=Lemonsu|first5=Aude|date=2014|title=Solar panels reduce both global warming and urban heat island|journal=Frontiers in Environmental Science|language=English|volume=2|doi=10.3389/fenvs.2014.00014|issn=2296-665X|doi-access=free}} can all be beneficial and used together to combat climate change and kickstart green growth.{{cite journal |last1=Capasso |first1=Marco |last2=Hansen |first2=Teis |last3=Heiberg |first3=Jonas |last4=Klitkou |first4=Antje |last5=Steen |first5=Markus |title=Green growth – A synthesis of scientific findings |journal=Technological Forecasting and Social Change |date=2019 |volume=146 |pages=390–402 |doi=10.1016/j.techfore.2019.06.013|doi-access=free |hdl=11250/2603690 |hdl-access=free }}

There are several limits to green growth. As described by the European Environmental Bureau (EEB), seven barriers could make green growth wishful thinking.

These barriers are as follows:Parrique T., Barth J., Briens F., C. Kerschner, Kraus-Polk A., Kuokkanen A., Spangenberg J.H., 2019. Decoupling debunked: Evidence and arguments against green growth as a sole strategy for sustainability. European Environmental Bureau.

- Rising energy costs. The more natural resources are needed, the more expensive it will be to extract them.

- Rebound effects. Improved efficiency is often accompanied by the same or higher consumption of a given good or service.

- Displacement of the problem, all technological solutions lead to environmental externalities.

- Underestimated impact of services, the service economy is based on the material economy, so it will add a footprint rather than replace it.

- Limited recycling potential.

- Insufficient and inappropriate technological change. Technological progress is not disruptive and does not target the factors of production that matters for ecological sustainability.

- Cost shifting and decoupling phenomena have emerged, but they are characterised by the externalisation of environmental impact from high-consumption countries to low-consumption countries.

File:MF_EU_vs_GDP_colours.png

A 2020 two-part systematic review published in Environmental Research Letters analyzed the full texts of 835 papers on the relationship between GDP, resource use (materials and energy) and greenhouse gas emissions. The first part found that "the vast majority of studies [...] approach the topic from a statistical-econometric point of view, while hardly acknowledging thermodynamic principles on the role of energy and materials for socio-economic activities. A potentially fundamental incompatibility between economic growth and systemic societal changes to address the climate crisis is rarely considered."{{Cite journal|last1=Wiedenhofer|first1=Dominik|last2=Virág|first2=Doris|last3=Kalt|first3=Gerald|last4=Plank|first4=Barbara|last5=Streeck|first5=Jan|last6=Pichler|first6=Melanie|last7=Mayer|first7=Andreas|last8=Krausmann|first8=Fridolin|last9=Brockway|first9=Paul|last10=Schaffartzik|first10=Anke|last11=Fishman|first11=Tomer|date=2020-06-10|title=A systematic review of the evidence on decoupling of GDP, resource use and GHG emissions, part I: bibliometric and conceptual mapping|journal=Environmental Research Letters|language=en|volume=15|issue=6|pages=063002|doi=10.1088/1748-9326/ab8429|bibcode=2020ERL....15f3002W|issn=1748-9326|doi-access=free}} The second part concluded "that large rapid absolute reductions of resource use and GHG emissions cannot be achieved through observed decoupling rates, hence decoupling needs to be complemented by sufficiency-oriented strategies and strict enforcement of absolute reduction targets."{{Cite journal|last1=Haberl|first1=Helmut|last2=Wiedenhofer|first2=Dominik|last3=Virág|first3=Doris|last4=Kalt|first4=Gerald|last5=Plank|first5=Barbara|last6=Brockway|first6=Paul|last7=Fishman|first7=Tomer|last8=Hausknost|first8=Daniel|last9=Krausmann|first9=Fridolin|last10=Leon-Gruchalski|first10=Bartholomäus|last11=Mayer|first11=Andreas|date=2020-06-10|title=A systematic review of the evidence on decoupling of GDP, resource use and GHG emissions, part II: synthesizing the insights|journal=Environmental Research Letters|language=en|volume=15|issue=6|pages=065003|doi=10.1088/1748-9326/ab842a|bibcode=2020ERL....15f5003H|issn=1748-9326|doi-access=free}} 50px Text was copied from this source, which is available under a [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License].

A 2020 paper by Jason Hickel and Giorgos Kallis published in New Political Economy concludes that "there is no empirical evidence that absolute decoupling from resource use can be achieved on a global scale against a background of continued economic growth" and that "absolute decoupling from carbon emissions is highly unlikely to be achieved at a rate rapid enough to prevent global warming over 1.5°C or 2°C, even under optimistic policy conditions." It thus suggests looking for alternative strategies.{{Cite journal|last1=Hickel|first1=Jason|last2=Kallis|first2=Giorgos|date=2020-06-06|title=Is Green Growth Possible?|url=https://doi.org/10.1080/13563467.2019.1598964|journal=New Political Economy|volume=25|issue=4|pages=469–486|doi=10.1080/13563467.2019.1598964|s2cid=159148524|issn=1356-3467}}

The Degrowth movement is opposed to all forms of productivism (the belief that economic productivity and growth is the purpose of human organization). Because of that it is also opposed to Green growth concepts.

Another 2020 study shows that the pursuit of ‘green growth’ would increase inequality and unemployment unless accompanied by radical social policies.{{cite journal |last1=D’Alessandro |first1=Simone |last2=Cieplinski |first2=André |last3=Distefano |first3=Tiziano |last4=Dittmer |first4=Kristofer |title=Feasible alternatives to green growth |journal=Nature Sustainability |date=2020 |volume=3 |issue=4 |pages=329–335 |doi=10.1038/s41893-020-0484-y|bibcode=2020NatSu...3..329D |hdl=11568/1042031 |s2cid=212643152 |hdl-access=free }}{{cite journal |last1=O’Neill |first1=Daniel W. |title=Beyond green growth |journal=Nature Sustainability |date=2020 |volume=3 |issue=4 |pages=260–261 |doi=10.1038/s41893-020-0499-4|doi-access=free |bibcode=2020NatSu...3..260O }}

{{cols|colwidth=38em}}

• Agrowth
• Alternative fuels
• Biobased economy
• Bright green environmentalism
• Circular economy
• Protecting and restoring degraded high-carbon ecosystems
• Divestment
• Ecological economics
• Eco-economic decoupling
• Free-market environmentalism
• Fossil fuel phase-out
• Georgism
• Green capitalism
• Green economy
• Greenwashing
• Low-carbon tenders
• Green recovery
• Hydrogen economy
• Natural resource economics
• Industrial mass production in the renewable energy sector
• Peak oil: reached in 2020 according to the BP Energy Outlook 2020
• Reforestation
• Small-scale agriculture
• Sustainable development
• Trillion Tree Campaign
• Urban planning
• The Blue Economy
• Prosperity Without Growth
• War economy

{{colend}}

{{reflist|30em}}

• [http://www.ggkp.org Green Growth Knowledge Platform]
• {{cite web | title=The case for inclusive green growth | website=World Bank Blogs | date=2015-07-21 | url=https://blogs.worldbank.org/voices/case-for-inclusive-green-growth | ref={{sfnref | World Bank Blogs | 2015}} | access-date=2020-04-21}}
• {{cite web | title=The Case for Inclusive Green Growth | website=World Bank | date=2015-06-09 | url=https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/speech/2015/06/09/the-case-for-inclusive-green-growth | ref={{sfnref | World Bank | 2015}} | access-date=2020-04-21}}
• {{cite web | title=Home Page | website=GGGI - Global Green Growth Institute | url=http://www.gggi.org/ | ref={{sfnref | GGGI - Global Green Growth Institute}} | access-date=2020-04-21}}
• {{cite web | title=Green economy | website=UNEP - UN Environment Programme | url=http://www.unep.org/explore-topics/green-economy | access-date=2020-04-21|quote=If current trends continue, the global per capita use of natural resources will increase by 70 per cent by 2050. }}
• {{cite web | title=Green Growth: 12 Things to Know | website=Asian Development Bank | date=2012-06-20 | url=https://www.adb.org/features/12-things-know-2012-green-growth | ref={{sfnref | Asian Development Bank | 2012}} | access-date=2020-04-21}}
• {{cite web | title=Green growth and sustainable development | website=OECD | url=http://www.oecd.org/greengrowth/ | ref={{sfnref | OECD}} | access-date=2020-04-21}}
• {{cite web | title=OECD work on green growth | website=OECD | url=http://www.oecd.org/document/10/0,3746,en_2649_37465_44076170_1_1_1_37465,00.htm | ref={{sfnref | OECD}} | access-date=2020-04-21}}
• [http://www.greengrowth.org Green Growth]
• {{cite book | title=Going Green: Why Asia is Moving Toward a Green Model of Economic Growth | website=Asian Development Bank | date=2012-02-01 | issn=1998-7528 | url=https://www.adb.org/publications/going-green-why-asia-moving-toward-green-model-economic-growth | ref={{sfnref | Asian Development Bank | 2012}} | access-date=2020-04-21 | last1=Bank | first1=Asian Development }}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20110713123142/http://greenteensociety.org/ Green Teen Society, promoting Green Growth aimed at teens]
• [https://www.youtube.com/PresidentMBLee Official Youtube Channel] of Chung Wa Dae
• {{cite book | title=Green Growth, Resources and Resilience: Environmental Sustainability in Asia and the Pacific | date=2012-02-01 | publisher=Asian Development Bank | url=https://www.adb.org/publications/green-growth-resources-and-resilience | ref={{sfnref | Asian Development Bank | 2012}} | access-date=2020-04-21}}
• {{cite web|url=https://iccwbo.org/find-a-document/?fwp_search=green%20growth|title=Publications on Green Growth|website=International Chamber of Commerce (ICC)|access-date=2020-04-21|archive-date=2020-07-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200703055941/https://iccwbo.org/find-a-document/?fwp_search=green%20growth|url-status=dead}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20160505222844/http://www.iccwbo.org/products-and-services/trade-facilitation/green-economy-roadmap/ ICC Green Economy Roadmap]

{{Sustainability}}

{{Portal bar|Economy|Environment}}

Category:Economic growth

Category:Environmental economics