Balancing economic growth with the needs of the planet

How do you balance economic growth with the needs of the planet?

Economic growth has long been a key objective of most governments-but is continuing growth possible in a finite world?

That critical question will be debated by experts from science, business, economics and the Government at a symposium hosted by Victoria University's Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) next week.

Professor Jonathan Boston of the IPS says the symposium will explore the growing evidence of the planet's biophysical limits and consider the policy implications arising from this.

"For the last four decades, there has been a lively debate about the extent to which there are planetary limits to economic growth, or at least growth of certain kinds," he says.

"This debate has been invigorated in recent years, not least as a result of concerns over human-induced climate change, the poor management of the globe's freshwater and marine resources, the loss of agricultural land and population growth."

Professor Boston says our growing awareness of the earth's biophysical limits have significant implications that need to be addressed by governments.

The symposium will draw on experts from a range of disciplines and jurisdictions to tackle questions such as: Which kinds of critical natural capital are substitutable? How do you set 'safe' biophysical boundaries, and what are the risks of overshooting such boundaries?

Symposium speakers include the Prime Minister's Chief Science Advisor Professor Sir Peter Gluckman; Minister of the Environment Hon Dr Nick Smith; Principal Scientist in Sustainability and Society at Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research Dr Bob Frame; economist Dr Steve Hatfield-Dodds and Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Research Fellow Dr Brian Walker.

Funding for the symposium has been provided by the Morgan Foundation, Landcare Research, the State Services Commission (on behalf of the public service) and Victoria University of Wellington.

What: Biophysical Limits and their Policy Implications - Symposium hosted by the Institute of Policy Studies, School of Government, Victoria University of Wellington and Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research.

When: Wednesday 8 and Thursday 9 June 2011.

Where: Government Buildings, Lecture Theatres One and Two.
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