1. So in the beginning there were people. And those people had problems (need for food, shelter,…).
2. So to fix these problems more efficiently (but far from completely), people invented economies.
3. But now these economies require infinite population growth (i doubt that’s actually true).
4. Therefore people make more people to sustain the economy. These new people themselves have needs, which did not exist before.
5. So these new people now also need to make even more people to sustain the economy.
6. Repeat.

So the economy actually amplifies suffering (exponentially), not reduce it.

Also, like others have pointed out: Many economies before industrial agriculture had basically 0 growth, and sustained themselves for centuries.

Idk about Just Stop Oil, but as a someone from Germany, a country that has done what you seek to do, namely moving from 3rd world conditions to 1st world conditions by the use of the cheapest energy source: fossil fuels, there is a sad secret i can tell you:
As per my quick and unscientific calcualtions, Germany used fossil fuels over a period of roughly 120 years to bring ~80M people from 3rd world conditions to the current level, emitting roughly 80bn tonnes of co2 and heating the planet by 0.145C.

If we apply this very rough calculation to 1bn Indians (blissfuilly ignoring the rising population of India), Indians will have to work tirelessly for the next 50 years at 2x our speed to do this. So most indians living today will likely never see that dream fully come true.
As a result earth will be heated to 2.95°C (current temp + heating by Indians), a temperature incompatible with boring 3rd world stuff like farming. If we add the african continent (>1.2bn) to the mix (they also want to achieve this, i asked them), it’s more like 5°C.

In the end, Indians will have to decide: Do you guys want to want to have your grand-children drive cars, or do you want that your children have stuff to eat.

Here in Germany the people have already decided: We want to achieve a ratio of peope-to-cars of 1:1 (as God planned for us) (We are at 0.583:1), and for that we are sacrificing our grandchildren’s cravings for food (and your grandchildren’s too). But that is ok, because they are not born yet, so we can not hurt them. And also: Food is so boring.
If we fail, and someone forces us to abandon our ways and do koombayah without cars and with renewables (idk that’s Indian i think), we will just say we did not know that co2 was harmful and that we just did what our boss ordered. Worked for our grandparents, will work for us.

I already know what Indians will decide, for they are just like us: You will choose the cars.

Peace to India, and remember: We are the good guys, we knew nothing, we just wanted to be happy (life is not worth living without a car).

May contain large amounts of sarcasm, sry for bad english, i’m in a hurry.

There is no invention (that i can imagine) i would look forward to if Mind Upload VR was real.
That would mean stagnation, but progress is only good if it reduces suffering. And i just can not see how making faster computers and learning physics can reduce suffering if there is Mind Upload VR, where all pain is optional.

As long as the VR is more like a Matrix where the body still ages and dies, of course i would want research to continue so death does not rip me from my awesome virtual life before i have played it trough. Maybe even multiple times.
I agree that progress will most likely slow down once Matrix VR is real because why waste your precious years lerning physics and biology when there is affordable VR?
Once Mind Upload VR is there i can actually see science progressing much faster, because if you have a processor that can simulate one conciousness and be loaded 10%, you can either put 9 more people on it, or you could speed up time 10x, so the mind that is researching new technology will experience 10x more time than real time and be done with research much faster.
Or you could store yourself on disk and wait 1000 years to have science catch up.

Assumptions:

• Stasis: When i spend months inside VR, my meat prison does not degrade faster than it would have leading my current livestyle. So at least something like the Matrix. Mind Upload would be perfect.
• Variety: The VR is large enough i will not get bored for at least 50 years.
• Control: The VR device is owned and operated by me, without requiring connection to some corporation. My VR life is owned by me. So no Corporate Dystopia. I can end the VR any time i want.
• Immersion: I can choose my avatar, the graphics is good and i can set the amount of pain i want to experience.
• Affordable: I can financially afford to stay in VR for at least 50 years.

Positives:

• Exciting: Every day can be an adventure. The best food can be copy-pasted. Have a house in the woods without having to sacrifice amenities. See the world without pollution. Dive trough oceans without having to catch your breath.
• Much less suffering: No more exercise (unlike my meat prison my avatar does not need exercise). No unwanted pain: Set pain to off if you don’t want to feel exthaustion, stubbing your toes,… No more disease, No worrying about wrecking your body.
• No more physics: Meals will remain fresh and warm even after weeks of hiking/climbing in the snow. Teleportation will be available.

Negatives:

• ?

If such VR is ever achieved, almoset everyone will live in it, and those living in it will look back and ask themselves how humans were ever happy to live like we do today.