Bankrupting Nature

Published 2012 – Humanity is in deep denial about the magnitude of the environmental challenges and resource constraints it faces. Despite growing scientific consensus on environmental threats and the risks of resource depletion, societies are continuing with business as usual, or tinkering at the margins of these problems.

As well as explaining the causes and solutions to this problem, this book breaks the long silence on population, criticising countries for not doing enough to support the education of girls and reproductive health services. It shows that an economy built on continuous expansion of material consumption is not sustainable but that de-growth is no solution either. The growth dilemma can only be addressed through a transformation of the economic system. A strong plea is made for abandoning GDP growth as the key objective for development. The focus should instead be on a limited number of welfare indicators. Alternative business models are presented, such as moving from products to services or towards a circular economy based on re-use, reconditioning and recycling – all essential for sustainable development.

Authors: Anders Wijkman, Johan Rockström

Available at Routledge, Amazon

Other Publications

On the macroeconomics of transition and the search for clarity

On the macroeconomics of transition and the search for clarity

30 January 2024 - As part of the Earth4All project, collaborators have submitted deep-dive papers to delve further into the issues and solutions needed to transform our economic system and provide an equitable future for all on a finite planet.  This is the second...

Club of Rome Logo