The golden rule of material stock accumulation

According to the key function of material stock, it constitutes valuable service infrastructure for society; however, it is also a driver for resource use, an object of technological lock-in, and a challenging waste management issue of the future. In this article, the golden rule of material accumulation is defined by confronting the ability of society to process materials–as the benefit of the capital, with the physical investments–as the cost of the process. Except for two countries with specific conditions (Japan and Switzerland), the level of assets in the analyzed economies performs under the golden rule quantity of capital per worker in material terms. Thus, there is no incentive present to reduce the material stock accumulation in the future under the current economic conditions, neither in emerging nor in developed countries. •Thirteen countries of fifteen in the sample were dynamically efficient between 1990 and 2015.•Majority of the analyzed economies maintain a golden rule of capital accumulation.•Except of Japan and Switzerland, material efficiency exceeds the monetary one.•Stock accumulation continuously emerge under the status quo economic conditions.•The proposed policy may enhance consumption and sustainability simultaneously.