Confronting the dilemma of growth. A response to Warlenius (2023)

Abstract

This commentary responds to a recent article in this journal (Warlenius, 2023) purporting to identify the ‘limits to degrowth’. We first clarify and set in context the tensions between growth rates and decoupling rates on which the argument is based. In particular, we show how failing to achieve sufficient decoupling appears to leave society torn between missing our climate targets and crashing our economies. This dilemma highlights the tough choices inherent in the climate transition. But it does not imply that critics of growth endorse economic collapse. On the contrary, the intention of postgrowth scholars is clearly to prevent this collapse by offering structural and social reforms, alongside technological options, as a way of meeting climate targets. Specifically we dispute the claim that growth is the best way to achieve high rates of decoupling. Counter to this, we present several mechanisms through which a growth-critical approach may be better aligned with the climate transition than an economic ideology founded on ‘growth at all costs’.