Sustainable growth – is it possible?

There exists a deep divide in opinion about whether economic growth and environmental protection are mutually exclusive, or whether it is possible to decouple economic growth and environmental degradation. For a period, the argument was turned upside down, and it was claimed that economic growth was necessary both for development and for protecting the environment. Today, however, we observe a renewed attention to limits to growth through for e.g. the Degrowth movement, existing in parallel with the new dominant discourse within mainstream policy on ‘green growth’ or the ‘green economy’.

In this panel, we want to present the different perspectives on whether economic growth is problematic for the environment or not, what the basis (theoretical/empirical) for the different positions are, different ways to conceptualise and measure (economic) growth, and also touch upon the wider societal perceptions of why we need economic growth in the first place. If sustainable growth is believed to be possible, then how? If it is not, then how do we deal with that?

– Max Koch (Lund University)
– Tone Smith (Rethinking Economics Norge)
– Per Espen Stoknes (Handelshøyskolen BI)
-- Moderated by Marie Storli

About the speakers:
Max Koch is professor of social sciences at the School of Social Work, at Lund University. Originally a sociologist from the Free University of Berlin, Koch now works with and teaches on subjects such as political economy, social inequality, welfare regimes and ecological sustainability. He is author of multiple books, amongst others Capitalism and Climate Change: Theoretical Discussion, Historical Development and Policy Responses (2012) and Postgrowth and Wellbeing: Challenges to Sustainable Welfare (2017).

Per Espen Stoknes (Ph.D) is associate professor at BI Norwegian Business School where he heads the Center for Green Growth. Educated as an economist and psychologist, Stoknes has worked both as a clinical psychologist and organisational consultant. He has published several books, including ´Money and Soul – The psychology of Money and the transformation of Capitalism´ (2009).

Tone Smith holds a PhD in Ecological Economics. She works for the Austrian Ministry of Sustainability and Tourism and teaches ecological economics at Krems University of Applied Sciences. Before starting her doctoral degree she worked for many years in the field of environmental-economic accounting and sustainability indicators (with Statistics Norway and the OECD).