We'd Like Some of That!

Since the beginning of the Industrial revolution, developed countries have aimed to maximise their rate of economic growth. Growth has been popular, as it increases living standards; extends life expectancy; improves medical care and generates a more educated and better fed population. Larry Elliot points out that hardly remarkably currently poorer countries dream of these benefits. The problem is that increasing economic growth in poorer countries, would inevitably result in a higher use of limited resources and exert additional pressures on an already stressed environment (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/nov/17/growth-addiction-climate-crisis-economic-policies). Elliot suggests that, with the right economic policies, we could concomitantly fight poverty and global heating. He feels that the developed world should adopt strategies, that encourage poorer countries to meet their anti-poverty goals in ways, that are least harmful to the environment. This may well involve providing finance and technology transfer. Otherwise, poorer countries will be tempted to exploit petrochemical resources (like gas in the congo basin), build roads and increase their vehicle traffic etc. Economic growth cannot occur in all the countries of the world indefinitely. It does, however, in democracies, attract votes. People are never keen to get poorer.