Sustainable Growth: A Circular Economy Perspective

Since the Brundtland Report was released in 1987, research on sustainable development has become an urgent issue of common concern. To meet the present consumption without compromising the needs of future generations, it is essential for society to practice the "don't waste waste" principle and to promote sustainable growth. As this article illustrates, sustainable growth can be understood as an institutional arrangement of regenerating circular GDP in a sustainable manner. In the circular economy system, sustainable growth is not only theoretically feasible, but also looks very promising. To promote sustainable consumption and investment, a certain degree of institutional planning (i.e., a process of progressive institutional change) initiated by a community or a government is necessary. Sustainable growth is, in essence, a dynamic process of mutually-interacting socioeconomic activities of learning and training in sustainability issues, and this requires great effort as well as the active participation of people from all walks of life.