Viewpoint: Sustainability: Malthus revisited?

James Brander

Canadian Journal of Economics, 2007, vol. 40, issue 1, 1-38

Abstract: The sustainability debate concerns whether the world will experience stable or improving living standards for the foreseeable future, or whether the current trajectory will overtax the natural environment, leading to a `crash' in living standards. This paper selectively reviews relevant research, focusing on both ecological concerns and technological progress, and asks whether susta inability would be problematic without rapid population growth. I suggest that continued demographic transition to lower fertility is the primary requirement for achieving sustainable development. This is, effectively, a modern translation of Malthus (1798) evolution.

JEL-codes: J10 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2007
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (14)

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