The Green Party of England and Wales has endorsed the position on economic growth championed by the Center for the Advancement of the Steady State Economy (CASSE). The position statement points out the conflict between economic growth and environmental protection and proposes the steady state economy as a desirable alternative. Although leading sustainability scholars have acknowledged that the economy can’t grow forever, it is a breakthrough for a well-established political party to take such a stand.
The endorsement comes on the heels of a dialogue at the Green Party conference in Blackpool, England, where CASSE European Director Dan O'Neill delivered an address on steady state economics and the financial crisis. Dr. Caroline Lucas, Leader of the Green Party and Member of European Parliament, stated, "I'm delighted to say we'd be very happy to [endorse the CASSE position]". The economic meltdown has most government and business leaders scrambling to reassemble the growth machine. They are bent on bandaging the system that delivered the current debacle of an economic crisis mixed with profound social and environmental problems. The Green Party of England and Wales sees a better path to prosperity -- a non-growing economy that achieves high levels of wellbeing for all citizens while respecting the limits of natural systems. It is about getting better rather than getting bigger, a distinction supported by the Green Party.
