Beyond growth

The document examines the debate over whether economic growth can be decoupled from environmental degradation or if a transition to 'degrowth' and post-consumerism is necessary. It contrasts 'ecological modernisation'—which relies on green technology and efficiency—with 'green radicalism,' which advocates for sufficiency and cultural shifts. The text applies these theories to specific national contexts, arguing that while some developed nations may be entering a post-consumerist era due to economic instability, others, like Croatia, still require green growth to ensure social stability. It concludes that a sustainable future requires redistributing wealth, sharing work, and moving beyond the 'productivist compromise' of the post-war era.

• There is a fundamental tension in Green politics between 'ecological modernisation,' which believes in the possibility of decoupling economic growth from environmental pressure through technology, and 'green radicalism,' which argues that sustainability requires a fundamental reorientation of cultural values and a focus on 'sufficiency.'
• The 'productivist compromise' that governed post-war European society, based on sharing the benefits of continuous growth, is no longer viable and must be replaced by a new social contract to address rising inequality.
• In the European Union, GDP growth has shown a long-term decline from an average of 4.8% in the 1960s to 1.5% in the 2000s, suggesting that relying on growth to solve social and environmental problems is unrealistic.
• While some developed nations may be transitioning to post-consumerism due to 'cultural dissonance' and economic instability, Croatia is viewed as unable to afford degrowth because it needs economic growth to service external debt and maintain social peace.
• Japan is presented as a potential leading example of a 'grown up' post-consumerist economy, characterized by shrinking population, stagnation of GDP since 1995, and a youth-led trend of 'demotorisation' (kuruma banare).
• Proposed strategies for a post-growth Europe include implementing progressive fiscal policies to share wealth, reducing working hours to share work, and reorienting financial profits toward the real economy for ecological transition.
• The Transition Town movement offers a practical, bottom-up alternative to institutional Green politics by focusing on community resilience, permaculture, and local initiatives like community renewable energy and local currencies.
• In Finland, some Green experts argue that market-based instruments, such as progressive electricity and meat taxes, are the most effective tools for steering consumption toward lower emissions.

APA

Green European Journal (2012). Beyond growth. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/GEJ_Vol3.pdf

Chicago

Green European Journal. Beyond growth. 2012. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/GEJ_Vol3.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Green European Journal |title=Beyond growth |date=September 2012 |url=https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/GEJ_Vol3.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{greeneuropeanjournal2012beyond, author = {{Green European Journal}}, title = {{Beyond growth}}, institution = {Green European Journal}, year = {2012}, month = sep, url = {https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/GEJ_Vol3.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }