Averting climate catastrophe requires economic growth

Improving energy efficiency is not enough for advocates of degrowth, who espouse energy sufficiency as the best way to fight climate change. But their argument is absurd; using limited inputs more efficiently is the definition of economic productivity – which, in turn, boosts growth

Nothing short of a clean-energy revolution, complete with clean transport systems and industry, will turn the climate ship around. File picture

Improving energy efficiency is undoubtedly a good thing. But efficiency should not be confused — as it sometimes is — with sufficiency, which calls for limiting energy consumption and is thus closely connected to the degrowth movement. Tackling climate change means doing more with less, not simply doing less.

The idea that sufficiency, and by association degrowth, could serve as a blueprint for reaching our climate goals gained traction after the covid-19 lockdowns — when humans retreated indoors and global carbon dioxide emissions fell sharply — and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which triggered energy security concerns in Europe.