IELTS Task 2 sample essay: Economic Growth vs the Environment

Some people believe that a country's first priority should be economic growth, while others argue that protecting the environment matters more. Although growth brings real benefits, I believe that environmental protection should take priority when the two conflict, because lasting prosperity depends on it.

Supporters of growth make a powerful case. Economic expansion creates jobs, raises wages and gives governments the tax revenue to build hospitals and schools. For developing countries in particular, rapid growth has lifted millions of people out of poverty within a single generation. From this point of view, asking a poor country to slow its development for environmental reasons can seem unfair, especially when wealthy nations polluted freely while they industrialised.

However, growth that damages the environment often undermines itself. Polluted rivers ruin fisheries, cleared forests lead to soil erosion and floods, and dirty air raises healthcare costs and shortens working lives. These losses rarely appear in growth figures, yet they fall on the same economy years later. A country that exhausts its natural resources may enjoy a decade of rapid growth and then face decades of decline.

Moreover, the choice is often less stark than it seems. Renewable energy, public transport and efficient buildings are among the fastest-growing industries in the world, and they create skilled jobs. Investing in them allows a country to grow and protect its environment at the same time.

In conclusion, while economic growth is vital, especially for poorer nations, I believe protecting the environment should come first when a choice must be made, because a damaged environment eventually destroys the prosperity that growth was meant to create.