Prosperity in Transition: Unravelling the Synergies of the EU’s Post-growth Policies for Socio-Environmental Harmony
(2024) In IIIEE Master Thesis IMEM02 20241The International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics
- Abstract
- This thesis examines the synergies of post-growth policies that aim to decrease environmental pressure at the legislative level of the European Union. Motivated by the urgent need to mitigate global warming and the limitations of the green growth paradigm, this thesis focuses on three specific post-growth policies: restriction of large resource extractions, reduction of caps on pollution, and prohibition of the annexation of natural resources by corporations. The objective of this thesis is to explore the interactions and synergies of said policies. By evaluating these three policies, the thesis seeks to understand how these measures can collectively promote ecological sustainability and social justice.
The aspiration is to provide... (More) - This thesis examines the synergies of post-growth policies that aim to decrease environmental pressure at the legislative level of the European Union. Motivated by the urgent need to mitigate global warming and the limitations of the green growth paradigm, this thesis focuses on three specific post-growth policies: restriction of large resource extractions, reduction of caps on pollution, and prohibition of the annexation of natural resources by corporations. The objective of this thesis is to explore the interactions and synergies of said policies. By evaluating these three policies, the thesis seeks to understand how these measures can collectively promote ecological sustainability and social justice.
The aspiration is to provide insights into the practical implementation of post-growth strategies and to highlight the importance of a holistic approach in policy formulation that balances environmental, economic, and social factors. To follow this goal, the primary research question is: ‘How do post-growth policies that aim to decrease environmental pressure synergize to promote post-growth objectives in the EU?’. For answering this question, a qualitative content analysis was conducted using primary data from interviews with decision-makers from the regional-, national, and EU-level and secondary data from academic literature and policy documents.
The analysis indicates that while each policy individually aligns with post-growth ideals, their collective implementation presents both synergies and challenges. However, the parameters indicating positive synergies outweigh the challenges, suggesting that the combined effects of these policies can significantly enhance environmental protection and sustainability. For instance, the combination of resource extraction restrictions and pollution caps can yield economic benefits by reducing long-term degradation costs, despite challenges related to economic competitiveness and social justice. The study concludes that achieving synergistic effects among post-growth policies requires a careful balance of environmental, economic, and social factors and a strong collaboration among policymakers, stakeholders, and researchers.
The findings stress the need for coordinated efforts and thorough planning to address the complex dynamic of socio-environmental policies. This research contributes to the post-growth discourse by providing insights into the practicalities of implementing policies that follow this paradigm within the context of the European Union, offering significant insights for policymakers and researchers aiming to facilitate climate justice. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9171373
- author
- Zehne, Lena LU
- supervisor
-
- Oksana Mont LU
- organization
- course
- IMEM02 20241
- year
- 2024
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- Post-growth, environmental policy, European Union, synergies of policies
- publication/series
- IIIEE Master Thesis
- report number
- 2024.32
- ISSN
- 1401-9191
- language
- English
- id
- 9171373
- date added to LUP
- 2024-08-11 14:17:19
- date last changed
- 2024-08-11 14:17:19
@misc{9171373,
abstract = {{This thesis examines the synergies of post-growth policies that aim to decrease environmental pressure at the legislative level of the European Union. Motivated by the urgent need to mitigate global warming and the limitations of the green growth paradigm, this thesis focuses on three specific post-growth policies: restriction of large resource extractions, reduction of caps on pollution, and prohibition of the annexation of natural resources by corporations. The objective of this thesis is to explore the interactions and synergies of said policies. By evaluating these three policies, the thesis seeks to understand how these measures can collectively promote ecological sustainability and social justice.
The aspiration is to provide insights into the practical implementation of post-growth strategies and to highlight the importance of a holistic approach in policy formulation that balances environmental, economic, and social factors. To follow this goal, the primary research question is: ‘How do post-growth policies that aim to decrease environmental pressure synergize to promote post-growth objectives in the EU?’. For answering this question, a qualitative content analysis was conducted using primary data from interviews with decision-makers from the regional-, national, and EU-level and secondary data from academic literature and policy documents.
The analysis indicates that while each policy individually aligns with post-growth ideals, their collective implementation presents both synergies and challenges. However, the parameters indicating positive synergies outweigh the challenges, suggesting that the combined effects of these policies can significantly enhance environmental protection and sustainability. For instance, the combination of resource extraction restrictions and pollution caps can yield economic benefits by reducing long-term degradation costs, despite challenges related to economic competitiveness and social justice. The study concludes that achieving synergistic effects among post-growth policies requires a careful balance of environmental, economic, and social factors and a strong collaboration among policymakers, stakeholders, and researchers.
The findings stress the need for coordinated efforts and thorough planning to address the complex dynamic of socio-environmental policies. This research contributes to the post-growth discourse by providing insights into the practicalities of implementing policies that follow this paradigm within the context of the European Union, offering significant insights for policymakers and researchers aiming to facilitate climate justice.}},
author = {{Zehne, Lena}},
issn = {{1401-9191}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
series = {{IIIEE Master Thesis}},
title = {{Prosperity in Transition: Unravelling the Synergies of the EU’s Post-growth Policies for Socio-Environmental Harmony}},
year = {{2024}},
}