ABSTRACT
The research findings of a limited capability of current decoupling strategies in reducing environmental impacts to a sustainable level may lead to two kinds of responses. One route follows the growth paradigm and relies on exploring more decoupling possibilities. This has gained popularity among most politicians and neo-classical economists. The other route in response to the issue of ‘limits to decoupling’ follows a de-growth paradigm, being critical of the ever-increasing materialism and consumerism in human society. Even though the latter one will be more efficacious to the resolution of ecological crisis, this proposition has been marginal.
