Summer 2023 has sparked what is now a constant reminder that our planet is experiencing unprecedented warming that has long been attributed to human action. In fact, cumulative July temperatures were recorded to be the hottest ever on record several days before the month ended (Politico, 2023). Although the focus on the sources of the greenhouse gas problem has been on our global human-built infrastructure (IPCC, 2014), there are broader concerns-including the deeper source of the problem internal to our human systems and the potential for human resource development (HRD) to contribute to positive change.There are many ways to consider the extant global environmental degradation, including through an HRD lens.One long-standing foundational discipline amidst the array of interdisciplinary elements associated with HRD is economics. One need only spend a short time within any large privately held corporation focused on quarterly shareholder returns, foundation or nonprofit relying on investment portfolio results, to recognize the growth-obsessed economic models that are the foundation of our global system. Although HRD scholar-practitioners often embrace growth from an economic and development perspective, we have some work to do to differentiate essential, ethical