Decoupling Concept: a Benchmark or an Illusion?

The most important features of the decoupling concept implying the need to disconnect the process of ensuring the economic growth from the increased resource consumption and negative environmental impact have been studied. In this context, the prerequisites for emergence of this concept, as well as the types of decoupling within the decoupling framework, have been investigated. The existence of the different viewpoints regarding the possibility of achieving the decoupling state has been acknowledged — from recognizing it as an inherent condition for moving towards the sustainable development to deeming it an imaginary idea. It has been concluded that for achieving the sustainability of this state, not only radical technological changes, but also changes in the lifestyle of the population, ways of doing business and in the priorities of the implemented state policy are required.