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Questioning the Assumptions, Sustainability and Ethics of Endless Economic Growth

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  • Haydn Washington

    (Earth and Sustainability Science Research Centre (ESSRC), School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Biological Sciences Building (D26) Kensington Campus, UNSW, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia)

Abstract

This article questions the assumptions, sustainability and ethics of endless economic growth on the basis of environmental science, ecological economics and ecological ethics. It considers the impossibility and unsustainability of endless physical growth on a finite planet. It considers the indicators of environmental degradation (all increasing) and argues that society’s addiction to endless growth is irresponsible. It discusses the key problem of denial, and how this blocks us from finding workable solutions. It discusses how in theory GDP could continue to grow modestly in the future if we adopted a steady-state economy where growth was not caused by an expanding population or resource use. However, this model is currently unpopular, with many advocating the green and circular economies that are partial solutions, and which justify ongoing growth through a fantasy of absolute decoupling. I discuss the need for society to change its anthropocentric worldview to one of ecocentrism. I then question whether the UN Sustainable Development Goals are actually ecologically sustainable. I discuss how, when we ignore the problems of an endlessly growing economy, we create significant risk to society. Rather than a focus only on ‘sustainable economic growth’, I suggest it is time to focus centrally on an ecologically sustainable economy and future.

Suggested Citation

  • Haydn Washington, 2021. "Questioning the Assumptions, Sustainability and Ethics of Endless Economic Growth," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-15, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jjrfmx:v:14:y:2021:i:10:p:497-:d:658633
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. World Commission on Environment and Development,, 1987. "Our Common Future," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780192820808.
    2. Thomas Wiedmann & Manfred Lenzen & Lorenz T. Keyßer & Julia K. Steinberger, 2020. "Scientists’ warning on affluence," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 11(1), pages 1-10, December.
    3. James D Ward & Paul C Sutton & Adrian D Werner & Robert Costanza & Steve H Mohr & Craig T Simmons, 2016. "Is Decoupling GDP Growth from Environmental Impact Possible?," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(10), pages 1-14, October.
    4. Clive L. Spash, 2011. "Social Ecological Economics: Understanding the Past to See the Future," American Journal of Economics and Sociology, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 70(2), pages 340-375, April.
    5. Spash, Clive L., 2012. "New foundations for ecological economics," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 36-47.
    6. Herman E. Daly, 2014. "From Uneconomic Growth to a Steady-State Economy," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 16030.
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    Cited by:

    1. Larissa M. Batrancea & Mehmet Ali Balcı & Ömer Akgüller & Lucian Gaban, 2022. "What Drives Economic Growth across European Countries? A Multimodal Approach," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 10(19), pages 1-20, October.
    2. J. Joseph Speidel & Jane N. O’Sullivan, 2023. "Advancing the Welfare of People and the Planet with a Common Agenda for Reproductive Justice, Population, and the Environment," World, MDPI, vol. 4(2), pages 1-29, May.
    3. Teun Wolters, 2022. "Why is ecological sustainability so difficult to achieve? An in‐context discussion of conceptual barriers," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(6), pages 2025-2039, December.

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