Is green growth happening? An empirical analysis of achieved versus Paris-compliant CO2–GDP decoupling in high-income countries

SummaryBackground Scientists have raised concerns about whether high-income countries, with their high per-capita CO2 emissions, can decarbonise fast enough to meet their obligations under the Paris Agreement if they continue to pursue aggregate economic growth. Over the past decade, some countries have reduced their CO2 emissions while increasing their gross domestic product (absolute decoupling). Politicians and media have hailed this as green growth. In this empirical study, we aimed to assess whether these achievements are consistent with the Paris Agreement, and whether Paris-compliant decoupling is within reach. Methods We developed and implemented a novel approach to assess whether decoupling…

• LT
  Leverhulme Trust

  Award: RL-2016–048
• MD
  Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación

  Awards: CEX2019, 000940-M