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Agrowth("agnostic or atheistic about growth") is a concept ineconomic policy according to which it is preferable to be indifferent to thegrowth of gross domestic product (GDP growth) when devising policies to further economic and societal progress.[1][2] The reasoning behind agrowth is that GDP growth does notcorrelate closely with such progress.[3][4]
The concept has been particularly discussed in the context of environmental policy, where it is opposed to bothgreen growth anddegrowth.[4] Agrowth is supported by many scientists.[2][5][6]
For example environmental economistJeroen C. J. M. van den Bergh argues for an agnostic attitude toward economic growth. According to him,environmental policy should not be aimed at pursuing or avoiding growth in the hope of reducing environmental damage, but at direct deployment of effective instruments such as pricingexternalities (for example, viaenvironmental taxes oremission rights). Whether the economy grows, stagnates or shrinks as a result is of secondary importance.[5]
^van den Bergh, Jeroen C.J.M. (March 2011). "Environment versus growth — A criticism of 'degrowth' and a plea for 'a-growth'".Ecological Economics.70 (5):881–890.doi:10.1016/j.ecolecon.2010.09.035.
^Kalimeris, Panos; Richardson, Clive; Bithas, Kostas (March 2014). "A meta-analysis investigation of the direction of the energy-GDP causal relationship: implications for the growth-degrowth dialogue".Journal of Cleaner Production.67:1–13.doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2013.12.040.
^Lehmann, Cathérine; Delbard, Olivier; Lange, Steffen (February 2022). "Green growth, a-growth or degrowth? Investigating the attitudes of environmental protection specialists at the German Environment Agency".Journal of Cleaner Production.336 130306.doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.130306.S2CID245721607.
