Economic Growth and Societal Collapse

“This book addresses humanity’s fateful struggle with excessive success in a very deep and different manner. I have previously moved from being a cornucopian to a modified Malthusian but this book is now moving me towards the third possibility you discuss- collapse as a feature not a bug of complex society”. - Christopher L. Magee, Massachusetts Institute of Technology "This fascinating volume is an important contribution to the debate on the ultimate destiny of our civilization. It poses the provocative question whether a constructive collapse, rather than green growth or degrowth, could be the solution to the dangers caused by the increasing environmental footprint. It will be an inspirational source of thinking for all those interested in the future of mankind" - Nicola Dimitri, University of Siena It has been said that, in the light of ecological overshoot, that human civilization faces two future possibilities: a Great Decoupling or a Great Collapse. In this book, two distinct positions to achieve the Great Decoupling are critically evaluated: Green Growth and Degrowth. It is concluded that neither Green Growth nor Degrowth will be able to achieve the Great Decoupling. The possibility for society to collapse is then raised, with the potential for a civilizational rebound pondered. Whether collapse may be a feature, and not a bug, of the long-run evolution of complex civilization is discussed. This book offers a thought provoking and unique perspective on the economic and ecological challenges faced by modern societies. It will be relevant to students, researchers, and policymakers interested in environmental economics and economic policy. Wim Naudé is Visiting Professor at RWTH Aachen University and Fellow at the ASC, University of Leiden.