Rebound-Effect

The Contested Circle – Part 2: Green Growth’s Illusion: Why Efficiency Alone Cannot Sustain the System The Ideological Comfort of Decoupling The circular economy has ascended to the forefront of global policy, business, and research agendas, largely predicated on a powerful and comforting narrative: that of sustainable growth. This narrative, often dubbed “Green Growth,” promises a win-win outcome where economic growth and environmental preservation are successfully reconciled, allowing the economy to hum nicely without wrecking the planet. The appeal is immense, suggesting that humanity can decouple economic activity from resource consumption and environmental impact simply by becoming more efficient and innovative. ...

The circular economy is often presented as our best hope for a sustainable future—a perfect, waste-free system where materials loop endlessly, decoupling economic growth from environmental harm. Advocacy for it is often, in the words of researchers, “approbatory, uncritical, descriptive and deeply normative.” It’s an appealing, powerful image of a regenerative, win-win world. But while the concept is a vital tool, the reality of building a circular economy is far more complex and interesting. Digging deeper reveals a set of counter-intuitive truths and thorny challenges that are often left out of the popular narrative. This article moves beyond the buzzwords to dissect five inconvenient truths that are essential for building a circular economy that is not only efficient, but also realistic, robust, and just. ...