The Green European Foundation supports innovative approaches to economic sustainability in Europe and, together with its European and national partners, aspires to contribute to the transition towards societies that enable a good life for all within the physical limits of our planet. 

In this context, concepts for economic transformation have been a core area of work for the Green European Foundation since its beginnings and it has reflected on a variety of aspects: green jobs, state aid, the financial system, etc. Regional approaches and national case studies have also been a constant focus of the foundation. Finally, GEF is active in the avant-garde of the reflection on the creation of a society and the functioning of an economy beyond GDP growth. 

 

GEF’s work on post-growth

The foundation is active in fostering the reflection on the creation of a society and the functioning of an economy beyond GDP growth. GEF aims to be at the forefront of the critique of economic growth and the existing economic model by supporting the coming to light of alternative models and ideas.

 

Projects

In this light, during the year 2023, GEF is running three different projects on post growth through GEF national partners:

 Geopolitics of post-growth: This project explores the tensions between de/post-growth and geopolitics to spark a conversation between critics of economic growth and progressive thinkers on foreign and security policy, who now often operate in separate circuits. It aims to find solutions beyond naïve anti-militarism and convenient belief in green growth.

Post-growth futures: This project aims to build capacities, develop skills and forge a network around this topic.

Countering the growth narrative: This project aims to promote the questioning of faith in economic growth as the only way to prosperity. Encouraging society to reflect on the contrived growth narrative is essential to pave the way for post-crescent economic alternatives and green political thinking.

 

Events

The Green European Foundation works to provide a space for political education, debate and forward-looking ideas for European citizens. We wholeheartedly supported the organization of the Beyond Growth Conference this year as it is one of the most effective ways to make such a progressive debate enter the European institutions; and for citizens and actors engaged on these topics to get an insight into the institutional perspective. We have supported this conference and will back others around the question of surpassing the old model of GDP-growth- such as the International Zagreb Degrowth Conference.

 

Publications

For 10 years, GEF has produced publications directly related with the degrowth movement:

 

Degrowth Open Letter

There is no empirical basis indicating that it is possible to globally and sufficiently decouple economic growth from environmental pressures.

The Green European foundation co-signed alongside over 400 experts and organisations an open letter for a post-growth wellbeing economy. GEF was represented by co-president and coordinator of partner foundation Oikos Think Tank (Belgium) Dirk Holemans, board member and Head of the Institute for Political Ecology (Croatia) Vedran Horvat, and GEF’s political director Laurent Standaert.

Read here

 

Media focus

 

The geopolitics of a post-growth EU EUOBSERVER 

By Richard Wouters (Project Manager at GEF’s partner foundation Wetenschappelijk Bureau GroenLinks and leader of the Geopolitics of a Post-Growth Europe Project). 

 

A credible future beyond growth has to be feminist EUOBSERVER 

By Gwendoline Delbos-Corfield (GEF board member & MEP Greens/EFA)  and Evelyn Regner (MEP S&D). 

 

Pensar más allá del crecimiento económico ELDIARIO.ES

(Thinking Beyond economic growth) 

By Natalie Bennett (Green party member of the House of Lords and former leader of the Green party of England and Wales) and Dirk Holemans (GEF’s co-president and coordinator of partner foundation Oikos Think Tank). 

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