Decoupling Growth from Emissions and Resource Use: What We Know So Far I

What is it about?

This paper provides a systematic review of the scientific literature on whether economic growth can be decoupled from resource use (energy and materials) and greenhouse gas emissions. It analyses more than 800 empirical studies to map how this relationship has been investigated, the methods and indicators used, and the main conceptual approaches. Overall, it offers a comprehensive overview of the state of knowledge on decoupling.

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Photo by Marek Piwnicki on Unsplash

Photo by Marek Piwnicki on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Decoupling economic growth from environmental pressures is widely seen as essential for achieving sustainability and climate goals. This paper is important because it shows that the existing evidence is fragmented and often based on approaches that overlook the physical basis of the economy. It highlights the need for more integrated, system-wide and biophysically grounded analyses to assess whether sustainable growth is realistically achievable.