The question of a future-proof economy is very much on the European Union's radar. Over the past three days, more than 4,000 people attended the Beyond Growth conference in Brussels, including Commission President Von der Leyen and numerous experts from across Europe. To wrap things up, the Vienna-based organisation Degrowth Vienna is putting forward a 5-point plan for social justice, sustainability, and democracy. 

"The time to act is now! The pursuit of endless economic growth in the EU and in Austria is getting in the way of justice, sustainability, and democracy. This was highlighted at the cross-party Beyond Growth conference in the European Parliament. But there's hope — the degrowth approach offers a transformative alternative", says Halliki Kreinin, post-growth expert at Degrowth Vienna, who attended the conference.

To close out the conference, Degrowth Vienna — a network of scientists, organisers, and experts active in Vienna (Austria) and beyond — is presenting a visionary 5-point action plan based on the conference's recommendations. The plan maps out a path towards a common-good economy that puts planetary and social well-being at the heart of policy.

At the Beyond Growth conference, Members of the European Parliament from five different political groups and more than 60 partner organisations agreed: the goal of endless economic growth is neither future-proof nor does it contribute to social and ecological well-being in the long term. The conference brought together high-profile speakers from EU politics, academia, trade unions, business, and non-governmental organisations. The aim was to challenge conventional EU policy-making and redefine society's overall goals. This was also reflected in Ursula von der Leyen's opening remarks: "A growth model that is based on fossil fuels is simply outdated." 

Degrowth Vienna has been advocating for a new economic model since 2018. "The EU is still clinging to the fairy tale of never-ending growth. Profit maximisation and corporate interests play a major role in shaping our economic system. At the Beyond Growth Conference in the EU Parliament, we're calling for a fundamental restructuring of the economy: away from the growth imperative and the focus on profits, and towards a good life for all", demands Hannah Lucia Müller from Degrowth Vienna. As the conference makes clear, the pursuit of growth at any cost will not resolve the socio-ecological crises we're facing. We need a new economic model that values the climate, biodiversity, and people.

Degrowth Vienna's five proposals:

1. Moving away from economic growth: Moving away from the pursuit of economic growth at any cost and from gross domestic product as an indicator of human well-being.
2. Public services: public, democratic, and non-profit provision of essential goods and services for everyday life, such as energy, housing, education, health, mobility, water, and food. The focus here is on ensuring universal accessibility and prioritising the common good over profit.
3. Focus on sufficiency: consuming and using resources in a way that meets basic needs without exceeding ecological limits, promoting sustainable consumption practices, reducing overconsumption, and shifting towards a resource-conscious lifestyle.
4. Closing the social gap: Economic growth has been used as a way to sidestep the question of inequality — the way to create prosperity in a non-growing economy is to eliminate socioeconomic inequalities. 
5. Just transitions through reduced working hours, job sharing, and a green jobs guarantee: reducing working hours is a key strategy for a just transition, aimed at achieving a better work-life balance and reducing overwork. Job-sharing programmes can help distribute work more fairly among people, while a green jobs guarantee aims to create employment opportunities for everyone who wants to work.

Press enquiries and contact:

Hannah Lucia Müller: hannah.mueller@degrowthvienna.org (+4368181713561)