Introduction: Driving forces and distribution
In the theme on the relationship between growth and the environment, it is argued that there are environmental limits to growth in living standards. But what drives growth and how growth is distributed is not addressed. In this theme, the focus is on the driving forces behind economic growth and the relationship between growth and distribution. Distribution is about who benefits from the growth and there are two aspects to this. Firstly, inequality in itself is one of the driving forces behind the fact that in the rich countries we have been able to increase our material consumption by so much. Secondly, limits to growth mean that there is an ethical responsibility to share.