Most EU Citizens Support Economic Growth Although Climate Experts Doubt Its Role

Yves here. This is sad. Politicians, businessmen, economists and their successors, the popular media, have shown economic growth even though much of it is luxury (polluted air and water, more processed food, dirty products designed to live a short life and force frequent replacement, inability to pay for housing, and conditions that are often worse for workers due to supervision and production demands, such as expecting more white workers/7). You would think that the people of Europe, with their general acceptance of the reality of global warming and perhaps the memory of better ways of life under the social democratic regimes, would be willing to entertain the groaf costs and pay less. But it is not visible.

Note, fossil fuel interests are largely responsible for active climate change denial. But so are the Green New Deal hopium sellers, who peddle the idea that there will be no cost to growth in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

By Ivan Savin, Associate Professor of Estimating Statistics, ESCP Business School and Lewis King, postdoctoral research fellow in Ecological economics, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Originally published on The Conversation

Debates about the need and desirability of economic growth are shifting. Among researchers working on sustainability and climate policy, there is growing skepticism about whether sustained economic growth is necessary to achieve the social and environmental goals of a sustainable society. Others argue that we should move beyond growth as a primary policy goal altogether, as it is ineffective to stay within environmental limits.

But this change in thinking is not visible among the public.

In a new study, we surveyed nearly 17,000 people in 13 European countries to understand how citizens view the role of economic growth in building a sustainable society. The results reveal significant differences in academic discourse.

Most Europeans still believe in economic growth

A clear majority of Europeans – about 60% – believe that economic growth is necessary to achieve social and environmental goals. Fewer than one in ten take an openly skeptical stance on growth. For most respondents, economic growth is not seen as something to be limited or abandoned, but as something that supports important aspects of modern societies, from financing environmental protection to improving life satisfaction.

Wide Gap with Professionals

This is in stark contrast to a previous survey of climate policy experts, where only 14% of researchers expressed pro-growth views, while a much larger proportion were indifferent or doubted the role of growth.

In other words, although skepticism about growth has become widespread among experts in the EU, it is still a minority position among citizens.

It is not considered a trade-off

The difference is not just a matter of priorities, but how the relationship between growth and sustainability is understood.

Academic debates often frame this issue as a tension or trade-off between economic growth and environmental protection. However, our findings suggest that many citizens do not see such a fundamental conflict.

People who support economic growth are more concerned about climate change than those who are skeptical about it. And they are less supportive of climate policies.

This points to a different perspective within society, where growth is assessed not as an end in itself, but as a means to achieve broader societal goals.

More Than You Will

Another common assumption is that support for economic growth is driven primarily by self-interest.

However, the patterns in our data tell a very different story. Growth-promoting attitudes are associated not only with values ​​connected to personal success and material well-being, but also with values ​​related to equality, social equity, and collective well-being. This suggests that many people see economic growth as a means of supporting society as a whole, rather than as a means of individual gain.

Differences Across Europe

At the same time, support for growth is uneven across Europe. We combined opinions within each country into a single index of support for growth scaled between -1 (doubt for strong growth) and +1 (strong support for growth), and this index tends to be lower in richer and more equal countries, where basic needs are met more widely.

In such cases, citizens may feel less dependent on economic development for their well-being. The difference comes from how people think climate policy should be designed. Those who are more skeptical about growth are generally more supportive of regulatory measures, such as bans on high-emission activities, while pro-growth respondents tend to favor policies based on public investment and subsidies.

Why This Matters in Policy

These differences are important because they shape what types of policies are likely to gain public support.

The dramatic growth of growth-skepticism in academic and policy debates reflects an important concern about environmental limitations. However, our findings suggest that these ideas have not yet translated into widespread public support.

For policy makers, this poses a challenge. Climate policies must have the desire to address environmental risks, but also be compatible with how citizens understand economic and social progress. If policies are made in ways that appear to undermine economic stability or public services, they may struggle to gain traction, even among people who are otherwise concerned about climate change.

The gap between expert debates and public opinion therefore raises broader questions about how sustainability reforms are communicated and implemented. If skepticism is to play a major role in policy, it will need to connect more clearly with people’s concerns about jobs, safety and well-being.

At the same time, if economic growth remains central to political issues, it will need to be satisfactorily aligned with environmental goals.

Ultimately, the future of climate policy in Europe will depend not only on scientific evidence and economic debates, but also on how citizens perceive the role of economic growth in their lives. Currently, that view remains rooted in the idea that growth is part of the solution, not the problem.