The relationship between economic growth and the environment is, and will always remain, controversial. Some see the emergence of new pollution problems, the lack of success in dealing with global warming and the still rising population in the Third World as proof positive that humans are a...

In recent years economists have recognized that, along with physical and human capital, environmental resources should be viewed as important economic assets, which can be called natural capital. However, the services provided by natural capital are unique. They include the use of resources for...

There has been widespread debate about whether the way in which we measure economic activity is fit for purpose in the twenty-first century. One aspect of this debate is to move away from measuring a nation's income (GDP) towards monitoring a nation's assets (their inclusive wealth), as a better...

For effective mitigation of the current severe economic crisis, developing countries can seize real opportunities for cleaner growth, including low-carbon growth. While complex and long, the process of greening economies can and should be gradually piloted towards selected “poles of clean...

The purpose of this paper is to survey the contributions to economic growth theory. We focus on the basic models and literature that link resource economic and economic growth, in order to reveal the main differences on how the different aspects are incorporated into growth models. As economic...

This paper presents a two-sector green endogenous growth model to explore a mechanism that explains why carbon-intensive capital is not necessarily shut down during transition to a green economy. Without accumulating clean capital to offset carbon emissions, a tightening of climate regulation...

Between 1990 and 2008, many industrializing countries have experienced tremendous economic growth, which coincided with a substantial increase in the use of materials. That poses the question how a continued economic convergence of developing nations will affect the use of biomass, fossil fuels,...

Between 1990 and 2008, many industrializing countries have experienced tremendous economic growth, which coincided with a substantial increase in the use of materials. That poses the question how a continued economic convergence of developing nations will affect the use of biomass, fossil fuels,...

We present a model of natural resources and growth that stresses the influence of an incomplete circularity of exhaustible natural resources. In particular, we analyze the recycling process and the material balance principle, two fundamental aspects of a circular economy. When market failures...