George Monbiot, one of the great environmental writers and thinkers, introduces us to some economic theory ("decoupling") that addresses the question of how to achieve a sustainable economy. See his Guardian article.
His argument is that the common claim that clever organization of economic processes can lead to continued growth in production while eliminating environmental degradation, is based on false accounting.
There's nothing for it. We have to change our lifestyle to have a smaller environmental footprint. Governments and others promising no change in lifestyle are misleading us.