Eco-Economic Decoupling
Definition
Eco-economic decoupling
Eco-economic decoupling refers to the process of separating economic growth from environmental degradation.
- It aims to ensure that economies can continue to grow while minimizing negative environmental impacts, such as pollution, resource depletion, and biodiversity loss.
- The concept plays a crucial role in sustainable development, as it challenges the traditional view that economic expansion must always lead to increased environmental harm.
Types of Decoupling
Absolute Decoupling
- Absolute decoupling occurs when economic growth continues while environmental impacts decrease in absolute terms (e.g., lower CO₂ emissions, reduced resource use).
- Challenges: Achieving absolute decoupling is difficult because continuous growth usually demands more raw materials and energy.
Some Scandinavian countries, such as Sweden, have managed to reduce their carbon emissions while maintaining economic growth by shifting to renewable energy sources and implementing strict environmental regulations.
Relative Decoupling
Relative decoupling happens when economic growth outpaces environmental degradation, meaning environmental harm still occurs, but at a slower rate than economic expansion.Example
China’s industrial sector has achieved relative decoupling in some areas by increasing energy efficiency, yet total CO₂ emissions continue to rise because of overall economic expansion.
