Controlling/containing climate change is all about energy; all major greenhouse gasses are products of burning fossil fuels. Because economic activity is so dependent on fossil fuels, it has been claimed to keep the planet habitable, we need to shrink the economy. Whether this is true or not depends on the definition of economic activity...
Energy is a form of labor (or labor is a form of energy). Automation + energy = human labor. Easy examples are household appliances: vacuum + electricity = person sweeping with broom; automobile + fuel = human walking. So if energy becomes inaccessible due to climate issues, automation (or other powered machinery) is less available. For producers, the choice is to produce less (less energy) or produce the same or more by employing human labor. Although absolute productivity per worker drops, more people are employed which means more people have money to spend. in other words, economic productivity declines in the face of more economic trade - is that a growth or decline of economic activity?
Regardless, the way we currently consume fossil fuels is unsustainable. It's bad for the climate; it damages the environment when extracted, transported, and consumed.
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