Embedded Growth Obligation (EGO), as articulated by Nate Hagens, refers to the systemic necessity for continual economic expansion ingrained in modern societal and financial structures. Hagens underscores that this perpetual growth mandate is not merely a policy choice but a structural imperative, driven by debt-based monetary systems, population growth, and rising consumption expectations. He highlights how EGOs are integral to corporate and governmental planning, relying on consistent growth to meet financial obligations, shareholder demands, and public services. Failure to achieve this expected expansion risks financial instability, unemployment, and social unrest, creating a feedback loop that further entrenches the growth dependency. Hagens’ perspective illuminates how our socio-economic frameworks are constructed around this unyielding requirement for growth, revealing both its unsustainability and the challenges of transitioning towards a steady-state or degrowth paradigm.

See also: exponential growth, economic growth, population growth, carbon pulse, ecological footprint