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  • Plenary A
The limits to growth as a measure of prosperity
Dominique Méda
Dominique Méda
Professor
Université Paris Dauphine
Carrie Exton
Carrie Exton
Head of Well-Being Data Insights and Policy Practice
OECD
Jason Hickel
Jason Hickel
Professor at the Institute for Environmental Science and Technology
Autonomous University of Barcelona
Philippe Lamberts
Philippe Lamberts
MEP, Co-president
The Greens/European Free Alliance
Esther Lynch
Esther Lynch
General Secretary
European Trade Union Confederation
pp
Philippe Pochet
General Director
ETUI
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  • Panel 1
Towards a post-growth energy path
Paolo Tomassetti, Aix-Marseille University
Paolo Tomassetti
Marie Skłodowska-Curie Research Fellow
Aix-Marseille University
Natalia Magnani
Natalia Magnani
Assistant professor
University of Trento
Félix Mailleux
Félix Mailleux
Advisor on climate, energy and industrial policies
ETUC
Photo Nick Meynen
Nick Meynen
Senior Policy Officer for Systemic Change
European Environmental Bureau (EEB)
Thorfinn Stainforth
Thorfinn Stainforth
Senior Policy Analyst, Climate and Circular Economy
The Institute for European Environmental Policy
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  • Panel 2
Productivity growth, work and wages
Katharina Wiese
Katharina Wiese
Senior Policy Officer for Economic Transition and Gender Equality
European Environmental Bureau (EEB)
Moreira Ramalho
Tiago Moreira Ramalho
Postdoctoral Researcher
Université libre de Bruxelles (Cevipol/IEE)
Elise Dermine
Elise Dermine
professor at the law department
Université Libre de Bruxelles
Mayrhofer
Jan Mayrhofer
Policy and Advocacy Manager | Sustainability
European Youth Forum
Jeremy Green
Jeremy Green
Professor of Political Economy
University of Cambridge
Ruairi Fitzgerald
Ruairi Fitzgerald
Advisor
ETUC
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  • Panel 3
Wellbeing, care and universal basic services
K. Arabadjieva
Kalina Arabadjieva
Researcher
ETUI
Ian Gough
Ian Gough
Professor
London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
P.Clarke
Penny Clarke
Deputy General Secretary
EPSU
Nitsche-Whitfield
Peter Nitsche-Whitfield
Degrowth Vienna
Andrea Vetter
Andrea Vetter
Konzeptwerk Neue Ökonomie
Riikka Pellikka
Riikka Pellikka
Senior Specialist
Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs and Health
Anna Coote
Anna Coote
Principal Fellow
New Economics Foundation

About the event

Download here the programme in pdf. 

#BeyondGrowth

In light of the 50th anniversary of the limits to growth report and the recent finding by the IPCC that “[e]conomic growth (measured as GDP) and its main components, GDP per capita and population growth, remained the strongest drivers of GHG emissions in the last decade” there is a need to question the possibility and desirability of the continued pursuit of economic growth. This is strengthened by the fact that Europe is currently facing multiple crises undermining future growth potentials. These range from the impacts of climate breakdown and biodiversity loss, demographic changes in Europe, the Covid-19 pandemic and rising inequality, to the war in Ukraine further threatening world security.

Moreover, the mainstream approach to pursue green and inclusive growth has so far delivered little progress, with GDP growth decoupling from growth in employment and wages (Laurent, 2021: 12-16; 21-23) and not producing sufficient reductions in ecological impacts. The scientific evidence is stacked against sufficient absolute decoupling of ecological impacts from economic growth, meaning that truly addressing our ecological crises will require what the IPCC calls a shift from a “GDP growth-oriented economy” to a “low-carbon energy-services, well-being, and equity-oriented economy”. This could allow for a focus on improvements in human wellbeing and the quality of life of workers.

Trade unions have a key role to play in a future ‘beyond growth’, as political actors representing the interests of working people and advocating for the wellbeing of workers, equity and social justice. This may present trade unions with substantial challenges, such as deconstructing the narrative that growth is essential to job creation and redistribution but it can also offer opportunities for trade union renewal, as well as new momentum and new allies to push-back against prevalent neoliberal economic policies undermining trade unions.

The aim of the conference is to build bridges between the trade union movement and the post- and de-growth community, and to situate a transformative just transition vision within the ‘beyond growth’ narrative. It should prompt reflection on how the (contested) concept of just transition and related policies, now a top priority in trade union agendas, fit – or can fit – with the futures proposed by post-growth scholars, and what just transition policies might look like in an alternative green deal for Europe that is not a ‘green growth’ strategy but a more radical societal and economic transformation.

The conference is a major side-event of the broader “Beyond Growth 2023 Conference” which will take place on 15-17 May 2023 on the initiative of twenty-one members of the European Parliament from five different political groups and supported by more than forty partner organisations. The conclusions from this ETUI-ETUC-EEB-ULB conference should feed into the debates of the 2023 event at the European Parliament.

The conference will take place in the International Trade Union House in Brussels (Boulevard du Roi Albert II, 5; B - 1210) and will also be livestreamed. 

#BeyondGrowth

The ETUI would like to keep you informed about the European Green Deal and the added value of trade union initiatives on just transition via its greennewdeal newsletterTo subscribe fill in the online form (see the etui.greennewdeal archives)

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2 Days conference
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Meet speakers

Philippe Lamberts
Philippe Lamberts
MEP, Co-president
The Greens/European Free Alliance
Esther Lynch
Esther Lynch
General Secretary
European Trade Union Confederation
Dominique Méda
Dominique Méda
Professor
Université Paris Dauphine
aurore lalucq
Aurore Lalucq
MEP
Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats
Ludovic Voet
Ludovic Voet
Confederal Secretary
European Trade Union Confederation
Carrie Exton
Carrie Exton
Head of Well-Being Data Insights and Policy Practice
OECD
Jason Hickel
Jason Hickel
Professor at the Institute for Environmental Science and Technology
Autonomous University of Barcelona
Paolo Tomassetti, Aix-Marseille University
Paolo Tomassetti
Marie Skłodowska-Curie Research Fellow
Aix-Marseille University
K. Arabadjieva
Kalina Arabadjieva
Researcher
ETUI
Ian Gough
Ian Gough
Professor
London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
P.Clarke
Penny Clarke
Deputy General Secretary
EPSU
pp
Philippe Pochet
General Director
ETUI
Félix Mailleux
Félix Mailleux
Advisor on climate, energy and industrial policies
ETUC
Natalia Magnani
Natalia Magnani
Assistant professor
University of Trento
Photo Nick Meynen
Nick Meynen
Senior Policy Officer for Systemic Change
European Environmental Bureau (EEB)
Katharina Wiese
Katharina Wiese
Senior Policy Officer for Economic Transition and Gender Equality
European Environmental Bureau (EEB)
Mayrhofer
Jan Mayrhofer
Policy and Advocacy Manager | Sustainability
European Youth Forum
Elise Dermine
Elise Dermine
professor at the law department
Université Libre de Bruxelles
Moreira Ramalho
Tiago Moreira Ramalho
Postdoctoral Researcher
Université libre de Bruxelles (Cevipol/IEE)
Nitsche-Whitfield
Peter Nitsche-Whitfield
Degrowth Vienna
Andrea Vetter
Andrea Vetter
Konzeptwerk Neue Ökonomie
Bianca Luna Fabris
Bianca Luna Fabris
Researcher and Communication Officer
ETUI
Eloi Laurent
Eloi Laurent
Professor
Sciences Po, Paris and Stanford University
Béla Galgóczi
Béla Galgóczi
Senior researcher
ETUI
Hirvilammi
Tuuli Hirvilammi
Senior Research Fellow
Tampere University
Pierre Larrouturou
Pierre Larrouturou
MEP
S&D Group, European Parliament
Mehtap Akgüç
Mehtap Akgüç
Senior Researcher
ETUI
Agnieszka Piasna
Agnieszka Piasna
Senior Researcher
ETUI
Simon Ticehurst
Simon Ticehurst
Advocacy and Movements Lead
Wellbeing Economy Alliance
Matteo Mandelli
Matteo Mandelli
PhD Student in Political Studies
University of Milan
W.De Backer
Willy De Backer
Editor Green New Deal newsletter
ETUI
P. Heidegger
Patrizia Heidegger
Deputy Secretary General
European Environmental Bureau
Kallis
Giorgos Kallis
Professor
Institute of Environmental Science and Technology, Barcelona
Kreinin
Halliki Kreinin
Postdoctoral Researcher
University of Münster
Ekaterina Domorenok
Ekaterina Domorenok
Associate Professor of Political Science
University of Padua
 Graziano
Paolo Graziano
Professor of Political Science
University of Padua
Jeremy Green
Jeremy Green
Professor of Political Economy
University of Cambridge
Riikka Pellikka
Riikka Pellikka
Senior Specialist
Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs and Health
Thorfinn Stainforth
Thorfinn Stainforth
Senior Policy Analyst, Climate and Circular Economy
The Institute for European Environmental Policy
Jagoda Munic
Jagoda Munić
Executive Director
Friends of the Earth Europe
Ruairi Fitzgerald
Ruairi Fitzgerald
Advisor
ETUC
K. Martens
Kobe Martens
ABVV/FGTB
Anna Coote
Anna Coote
Principal Fellow
New Economics Foundation

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