The Aspirations of the Green Industrial Revolution: a historical perspective

The author expresses skepticism that current green technologies, such as renewables and electric vehicles, can drive a 'Green Industrial Revolution' (GIR) similar to the steam engine or electricity. While the potential market for energy services is substantial, the author argues that these technologies are unlikely to produce the drastic direct productivity gains (price drops) or the profound indirect economic reorganizations necessary to stimulate a decades-long growth wave. Instead, the author suggests that significant growth would require either hypothetical technological breakthroughs or 'techno-autonomous' reorganizations like the functionality economy.

• The potential market for green technologies is substantial and comparable to the market for fabrics in the nineteenth century because all economic sectors require energy services for heating, mobility, agriculture, and manufacturing.
• There is skepticism regarding the ability of current green technologies to generate 'direct' productivity gains, as it is unlikely they will cause a drastic drop in the price of energy or mobility compared to current levels.
• Green technologies are unlikely to drive profound indirect productivity gains through economic reorganization because the primary reorganizations enabled by electricity and automobiles have already been exploited.
• The author rejects technological determinism, arguing that technology does not dictate economic organization but merely 'opens doors' to reorganization, which is then determined by political and economic power relations.
• The 'functionality economy'—which prioritizes usage over ownership—represents a green economic reorganization that could generate immense productivity gains independently of new green technologies.
• For a Green Industrial Revolution to succeed in creating a new growth wave, the economy would need either hypothetical breakthroughs (such as nanobatteries or CO2-capturing cement) or the adoption of circular and functionality economies.

APA

Verley, D. D. P. (2013). The Aspirations of the Green Industrial Revolution: a historical perspective. Green European Journal. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/the-aspirations-of-the-green-industrial-revolution-a-historical-perspective/

Chicago

Verley, Damien Demailly, Patrick. The Aspirations of the Green Industrial Revolution: a historical perspective. Green European Journal, 2013. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/the-aspirations-of-the-green-industrial-revolution-a-historical-perspective/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Verley |first1=Damien Demailly, Patrick |title=The Aspirations of the Green Industrial Revolution: a historical perspective |publisher=Green European Journal |date=1 October 2013 |url=https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/the-aspirations-of-the-green-industrial-revolution-a-historical-perspective/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{verley2013aspirations, author = {Verley, Damien Demailly, Patrick}, title = {{The Aspirations of the Green Industrial Revolution: a historical perspective}}, institution = {Green European Journal}, year = {2013}, month = oct, url = {https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/the-aspirations-of-the-green-industrial-revolution-a-historical-perspective/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }