HL.b.13—Economic growth environmental impacts

Trace both benefits and harms of growth.

Economic growth can fund environmental protection but can also increase extraction, pollution and unequal exposure.

Higher tax revenue may finance wastewater treatment, while a new industrial estate raises local air pollution.

Evaluate source, scale, time lag and distribution instead of labelling growth simply good or bad.

Key idea: Trace both benefits and harms of growth.

Aggregate GDP gains can hide environmental injustice.