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How the Concept of “Regenerative Good Growth” Could Help Increase Public and Policy Engagement and Speed Transitions to Net Zero and Nature Recovery
,
Dennis Garrity,
Hemant Kumar Badola,
Mike Barrett,
Cornelia Butler Flora,
Catherine Cameron,
Natasha Grist,
Leanne Hepburn ,
Heather Hilburn,
Amy Isham ,
Erik Jacobi ,
Rattan Lal ,
Simon Lyster,
Andri Snaer Magnason,
Jacquie McGlade ,
Jan Middendorf,
E. J. Milner-Gulland ,
David Orr,
Lloyd Peck ,
Chris Reij,
Johan Rockström ,
Yarema Ronesh ,
Osamu Saito ,
Jo Smith ,
Pete Smith ,
Peter Thorne,
Atsushi Watabe ,
Steve Waters,
Geoff Wells
Sustainability, Volume: 17, Issue: 3, Start page: 849
Swansea University Author:
Amy Isham
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© 2025 by the authors. This is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license.
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DOI (Published version): 10.3390/su17030849
Abstract
Just and fair transitions to low-carbon and nature-positive ways of living need to occur fast enough to limit and reverse the climate and nature crises, but not so fast that the public is left behind. We propose the concept of “Regenerative Good Growth” (RGG) to replace the language and practice of...
| Published in: | Sustainability |
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| ISSN: | 2071-1050 |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025
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| Online Access: |
Check full text
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| URI: | https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa69203 |
| Abstract: |
Just and fair transitions to low-carbon and nature-positive ways of living need to occur fast enough to limit and reverse the climate and nature crises, but not so fast that the public is left behind. We propose the concept of “Regenerative Good Growth” (RGG) to replace the language and practice of extractive, bad GDP growth. RGG centres on the services provided by five renewable capitals: natural, social, human, cultural, and sustainable physical. The term “growth” tends to divide rather than unite, and so here we seek language and storylines that appeal to a newly emergent climate-concerned majority. Creative forms of public engagement that lead to response diversity will be essential to fostering action: when people feel coerced into adopting single options at pace, there is a danger of backlash or climate authoritarianism. Policy centred around storytelling can help create diverse public responses and institutional frameworks. The practises underpinning RGG have already created business opportunities, while delivering sharp falls in unit costs. Fast transitions and social tipping points are emerging in the agricultural, energy, and city sectors. Though further risks will emerge related to rebound effects and lack of decoupling of material consumption from GDP, RGG will help cut the externalities of economies. |
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| Keywords: |
Regenerative Good Growth; bad GDP growth; climate crisis; nature crisis; renewable assets; public engagement; story and hope; social tipping points; backlash; green authoritarianism; net zero |
| College: |
Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences |
| Funders: |
There was no direct financial support for the development and writing of this paper. |
| Issue: |
3 |
| Start Page: |
849 |