The Beyond Growth 2023 Conference is a multi-stakeholder event aiming to discuss and co-create policies for sustainable prosperity in Europe, based on a systemic and transformative approach to economic, social and environmental sustainability and its encompassing governance framework. transform! europe participates as one of the supporting partners
With this conference, the organisers aim to challenge conventional policy-making in the European Union and to redefine societal goals across the board, in order to move away from the harmful focus on the sole economic growth – that is, the growth of GDP – as the basis of our development model. The conference will put into practice the idea of a post-growth future-fit EU that combines social well-being and viable economic development with the respect of planetary boundaries.
This three days major event is a cross-party initiative of 20 Members of the European Parliament, supported by a wide-range of partner organisations, which follows the success of the Post-Growth 2018 conference. The conference offers an opportunity for discussion across institutional boundaries and with European citizens. It will involve stakeholders from EU and national policymaking, academia, social partners and civil society organisations. As it aims to discuss the future of European citizens, it will take place in their house, in the European Parliament (Brussels’ site) on15-16-17 May 2023. Live streaming will also be available.
Goals of the conference
The organisers set the following mutually reinforcing goals for the conference:
- Discuss the significance of economic growth as a policy goal and deconstruct underlying assumptions of GDP being the only mean to achieve economic policy objectives.
- Shift the discourse towards future-oriented economic policymaking and the benefits of beyond-growth indicators for a well-being European economy.
- Shape the EU’s path to a more resilient economic agenda in line the European Green Deal objectives and the Sustainable Development Goals.
- Createreal policy impact with new proposals to establish a new social, economic and environmental contract.
- Create new and unusual alliances between a great diversity of stakeholders.
Key questions
The conference will address the following guiding questions:
- What narrative is needed to guide progress towards a European Union that aims to prosper, rather than to grow?
- What policiesand indicators are needed to build a society that focuses on satisfying the well-being of its citizens while respecting planetary boundaries?
- What governance structures are needed to deal with today’s interlinked environmental, social and economic challenges and ensure that all policy areas contribute to the EU’s common objectives?
- How to address inconsistencies between existing EU policies and a European post-growth economy agenda, and how to realign priorities accordingly?
The Beyond Growth 2023 Conference takes place in the European Parliament building in Brussels on 15-16-17 May 2023. Whether you are planning to attend in person or to follow us online, we please ask you to register:
I want to attend in person in Brussels
Programme
The conference has 7 plenary sessions, 20 focus panels and 4 policy labs.
Plenary discussions will gather everyone in the hemicycle of the Parliament and articulate the guiding thread of the conference, while focus panels will provide the audience with in-depth discussions on selected topics. Each session will be chaired by one of the co-organising Members of the European Parliament (MEPs).
Besides the main programme, selected participants (upon invitation only) will co-create policy recommendations on topics related to current policy processes. These interactive policy labs are organised by our partner ZOE Institut and will take place in the European Economic and Social Committee.
The full programme of events can be found here.