PositionOnEG

The CASSE position on economic growth (below) was carefully crafted after years of study. It has been sanctioned by many leaders in sustainability science. The position is important for demonstrating widespread understanding of the conflict between economic growth and environmental protection. The more we can demonstrate such understanding, the more viable the steady state economy becomes in policy discussions. Please e-sign and ask your colleagues to do the same. Additional contact information is completely optional and held in private (view privacy policy).

CASSE Position on Economic Growth

Whereas:

1) Economic growth, as defined in standard economics textbooks, is an increase in the production and consumption of goods and services, and;

2) Economic growth occurs when there is an increase in the multiplied product of population and per capita consumption, and;

3) The global economy grows as an integrated whole consisting of agricultural, extractive, manufacturing, and services sectors that require physical inputs and produce wastes, and;

4) Economic growth is often and generally indicated by increasing real gross domestic product (GDP) or real gross national product (GNP), and;

5) Economic growth has been a primary, perennial goal of many societies and most governments, and;

6) Based upon established principles of physics and ecology, there is a limit to economic growth, and;

7) There is increasing evidence that global economic growth is having negative effects on long-term ecological and economic welfare...

Therefore, we take the position that:

1) There is a fundamental conflict between economic growth and environmental protection (for example, biodiversity conservation, clean air and water, atmospheric stability), and;

2) There is a fundamental conflict between economic growth and the ecological services underpinning the human economy (for example, pollination, decomposition, climate regulation), and;

3) Technological progress has had many positive and negative ecological and economic effects and may not be depended on to reconcile the conflict between economic growth and long-term ecological and economic welfare, and;

4) Economic growth, as gauged by increasing GDP, is an increasingly dangerous and anachronistic goal, especially in wealthy nations with widespread affluence, and;

5) A steady state economy (that is, an economy with a relatively stable, mildly fluctuating product of population and per capita consumption) is a viable alternative to a growing economy and has become a more appropriate goal in large, wealthy economies, and;

6) The long-run sustainability of a steady state economy requires its establishment at a size small enough to avoid the breaching of reduced ecological and economic capacity during expected or unexpected supply shocks such as droughts and energy shortages, and;

7) A steady state economy does not preclude economic development, a dynamic, qualitative process in which different technologies may be employed and the relative prominence of economic sectors may evolve, and;

8) Upon establishing a steady state economy, it would be advisable for wealthy nations to assist other nations in moving from the goal of economic growth to the goal of a steady state economy, beginning with those nations currently enjoying high levels of per capita consumption, and;

9) For many nations with widespread poverty, increasing per capita consumption (or, alternatively, more equitable distributions of wealth) remains an appropriate goal.

Does the CASSE Position Change with the Times?

The CASSE position has been available for e-signing since May 1, 2004. Although it was designed with global implications, it was also focused to some degree on economic growth in the United States. It was slightly revised on June 3, 2008, to reflect growing concerns about global economic growth and the need for wealthy nations to take the first steps in moving toward a steady state economy. CASSE does not modify the technical aspects of the position, as these are based on long-established scientific principles. The original CASSE position is posted here, with the revisions readily discernible.

Organizations that Have Adopted a Position on Economic Growth or Endorsed the CASSE Position

Professional scientific societies that have adopted a position on economic growth:

- American Society of Mammalogists (2007)

- British Columbia Field Ornithologists (2007)

- Society for Conservation Biology, North America Section (2004)

- United States Society for Ecological Economics (2003)

- The Wildlife Society (2004)

Private, corporate, nonprofit, and political organizations that have endorsed the CASSE position:

- A-1 Builders and Adaptations, Bellingham, WA, USA, 2009

- Abraham Paiss and Associates, Boulder, Colorado, USA, 2008

- Animal Alliance of Canada, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 2008

- Arthur Morgan Institute for Community Solutions, Yellow Springs, Ohio, USA, 2008