If everyone lived like the average European, we would need nearly 3 planets to sustain us. Rising consumerism has been linked to environmental degradation and runaway resource use by those with greater buying power, and others have challenged the very economic systems we operate within and the metrics of wellbeing that we use e.g. GDP.
But could economic growth be successfully decoupled from environmental impact? And is increasing consumption THE key obstacle to achieving sustainability in all its multiple forms? Or are there other areas/obstacles that we should be prioritising first?
Format
The debate will loosely follow debates held in British Parliament, where a motion is moved to "divide the House" in order to vote. Three speakers on each side will present speeches in the proposition of and opposition to the motion. Our debate event will give expert speakers the chance to grapple with this question and offer their insights.
