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Italy: issues in dematerialization and environmental load dispacement Valeria Andreoni Valeria Andreoni - Department of Economics, University of Bologna, Italy Marco Duriavig - Marco Duriavig - Department of Economy, Society and Territory University of Udine, Italy Degrowth conference Paris 18, 19 april 2008

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SUSTAINABILITY is a complex issue: different meanings, contents, perspective and approaches: ECO-EFFICIENCY approach Has been the most important approach for the Sustainable Development of the Bruntland Report. SCALE approach Is a key elements of Sustainable Degrowth

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ECO-EFFICIENCY APPROACH: De-Linking Economy from its BioPhysical Constraints 1)DEMATERIALIZATION: (Malembaum 1978) The throughput per unit of production may decrease over time (Malembaum 1978) 2)ENVIRONMENTAL KUZNETS CURVE: 2) ENVIRONMENTAL KUZNETS CURVE: Economic growth is good for the environment because it seems existing an empirical relation between per capita income and some measures of environmentl quality Economic Growth InnovationInvestments Tecnical Progress Reduce the Material/Energetic Input of economy and reduce the Output (emissions and waste)

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ENVIRONMENTAL KUZNETS CURVE: Link pollution and economic growth, and assume that all countries follow a development trajectory that growths through different stages over time. Environmental pressure increases faster than income at early stages of development and slows down relative to GDP growth at higher income level. ECONOMIC GROWTH CAN BE SUSTAINABLE

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THEORETICAL MODEL: y it = i + 1 x it + 2 x it + 3 x it + 4 z it + it No relationship: 1 = 2 = 3 ; A monotonic increasing (linear relationship): 1 >0 and 2 = 3 = 0; A monotonic decreasing: 1 0, 2 0, 2 0, 2 0; Opposite to the N-shaped curve: 1 0, 3 0, 3