Decoupling Economic Growth From Resource Consumption

These ecological challenges bring economic risks that quite clearly indicate: Business as usual is no longer an option. On the other hand the global scarcity of natural resources could incentivize a more “resource light” type of technological progress if embedded into supporting framework conditions and social innovations. Thus a “Great Global Transformation” is needed, especially in the global North, but in the global South as well, which decouples the use of nature from economic activity. This policy paper argues that innovative governance can turn the ecological necessity of decoupling into economic opportunities.