Living Economy

The crises of the global economy, the environment and social concerns share the same roots, namely a narrow pre-occupation with short-term gain at the expense of long-term sustainability. Tackling our crises requires not just technological leapfrogging but bold policy innovations and a new solidarity across borders, social classes, and generations.

Responding to the need for change, Worldwatch Europe’s Living Economy programme aims to put forward the conceptual framework of ‘building a living and green economy’. The overall objective is to mobilise a European constituency behind the commitment to green economy by emphasizing changes to norms, values, and policies.

Currently, the main activities in the programme centre on the research project “From Rio 2012 to a New Architecture for Sustainable Prosperity”. Read a summary of the project here. The project is supported by the Velux Foundation.

Some programme highlights:

2012
April 25, 2012: State of the World 2012 – Sustainable Prosperity conference in Copenhagen
June 5, 2012: Living Economy/Worldwatch public hearing at the European Parliament in Brussels
June 13, 2012: Release of the report ‘Messages for Rio+20 – filling the gaps in EU policies’
June 19, 2012: Side event at the Rio+20 Summit: Voices from Europe
November 15, 2012: Release of the report ‘From Consumer Kids to Sustainable Childhood’
November 15, 2012: Sustainable Childhood Symposium in Berlin

2013
April-May: Conference and launch of report on Living Economy: Cross-Sector Entrepreneurship

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