During the last decade, interest in growth theory in the context of the environment has increased dramatically, resulting in a vast array of articles and books applying different modelling approaches and focusing on a variety of diverse topics. Dealing with endogenous growth under environmental restrictions, Karen Pittel provides a comprehensive survey of the field and highlights some important issues that have so far been rather neglected within the debate on sustainable growth.
The book begins with a thorough review of the concepts of sustainable development and growth. Based upon the findings of this review, the focus shifts towards the specifics of integrating environmental concerns into endogenous growth models, which reveals some interesting new insights. Three particular facets of the environment-growth debate are then studied in detail:
the role of recycling in the quest for sustainable growth
the implications of endogenous time preference
the effects of economic integration on growth and pollution.
This well written and accessible book provides an extensive introduction to the issues of sustainability and endogenous growth, enhanced by a comprehensive review of the associated literature. It will be required reading for environmental economists, ecological economists, students and academics interested in sustainable development and growth, and growth theorists concerned with environmental issues.