One of the core activities of R&D is the facilitation of networking and the flow of ideas between various actors working on degrowth, especially in academia. For this reason, as well as in order to increase the visibility of the degrowth ideas and proposals in the public space, R&D has organized the 1st and 2nd International academic Conferences on Degrowth for Ecological Sustainability and Social Equity and called for the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th International academic Conferences on Degrowth for Ecological Sustainability and Social Equity, which led to the International Conference in Venice 2012, the Conference of the Americas in Montreal 2012 and the International Conferences in Leipzig 2014, Budapest 2016, as well as Malmo, Mexico city, and EU Parliament in 2018. Apart from demonstrating the latest research in the field, the conferences aim at promoting cooperative research and work in the formulation and development of research and political proposals.
Conferences 2023
R&D is a partner of the Beyond Growth 2023 Conference, that will take place 15-17 May 2023 in the European Parliament in Brussels. Degrowth and post-growth scholars, civil society organisations and national and international policy makers will discuss pathways towards a new economy and co-create policies for sustainable prosperity at the very heart of EU institutions. R&D members Jason Hickel, Giorgos Kallis and Giacomo D’Alisa will speak in different plenaries and focus panels. Moreover, R&D will organise the first focus panel “Which Prosperous Future? Confronting Narratives of Growth”. You can register for the conference here for free. Participating remotely will also be possible.
The 9th International Degrowth Conference will take place Aug 29 – Sep 2 2023 in Zagreb. The conference will sit at the heart of a broader Zagreb Degrowth Week, a free arts and conviviality festival realised in cooperation with neighbouring capitals like Ljubljana, Budapest, Vienna and Belgrade. It will bring together activists, artists, academics, practitioners, political representatives, and the general public in presenting alternative readings of the most recent global shocks and possible pathways to care and resilience.
Conferences 2021
The 8th International Degrowth Conference in The Hague took place on the 24-28 August 2021. It was hosted by a range of diverse degrowth actors from the Netherlands, with a broad thematic focus aiming to expand the frontiers of degrowth research and activism.
A Joint International Conference with Ecological Economics originally announced as the 7th Degrowth / 16th ISEE International Society for Ecological Economics Conference took place in Manchester in July 2021, with a clear thematic focus on ecological economics.
Conferences 2020
The International Conference “Degrowth Vienna 2020: Strategies for Social-Ecological Transformation” took place from May 29 to June 1, 2020. This conference focused on strategies and new ways for social change in cooperation with scientists and civil society actors.
A symposium specifically focused on the implications of Covid-19 for ecological economics and degrowth, at the time of the formerly announced 7th conference in Manchester (September 2020).
Conferences 2018
This page provides information on the 6th International Degrowth Conference in Malmö, Sweden, titled “Dialogues in turbulent times” took place from August 21-25
This page provides information on the First North-South Conference on Degrowthheld in Mexico City from 04-06 September.
This page provides information on the post-growth conference supported by various stakeholders (Members of the European Parliament from different political groups, academics, NGOs and unions) took place in the premises of the European Parliament from 18-19 September
Budapest 2016
This page provides information on the 5th international Degrowth Conference, which took place in Budapest in 2016.
Leipzig 2014
Here you find extensive information about the 4th international Degrowth Conference, which took place in Leipzig in 2014. These pages are the official conference documentation of the Leipzig degrowth conference.
Venice 2012
This page provides information on the 3rd international Degrowth Conference, which took place in Venice in 2012.
Barcelona 2010
This page provides information on the 2nd international Degrowth Conference, which took place in Barcelona in 2010.
Paris 2008
This page provides information on the 1st international Degrowth Conference, which took place in Paris in 2008.
Montreal 2012
This page provides information on the Degrowth Conference of the Americas, which took place in Montreal in 2011.
Berlin 2011
This page provides information on the conference Beyond Growth, which took place in Berlin in 2011
Support group of the International Conferences on degrowth for ecological sustainability and social equity
Introduction: Research & Degrowth (R&D) has promoted a number of international conferences on degrowth for ecological sustainability and social equity. Within the plurality and increasing number of events on degrowth that we have experienced and participated in, we wish to develop a clear identity and philosophy for the International Conference as a regular and recognizable event, where scholars, civil society and practitioners come together to update each other on their degrowth-related research and activities. At the same time, we wish to involve the groups who have hosted the conferences up to now in the promoting process. This will ensure a democratic, smooth and effective decision-making process.
- 1º Int. Conference in Paris (2008) (paris.degrowth.org) hosted by Telecom sud-Paris
- 2º Int. Conference in Barcelona (2010) (barcelona.degrowth.org) hosted by the Autonomous University of Barcelona
- Conference of the Americas in Montreal (2012) (montreal.degrowth.org) hosted by the Université de Montréal, McGill University, Université du Québec à Montréal, HEC Montreal and Concordia University)
- 3º Int. Conference in Venice (2012) (venezia.degrowth.org) hosted by Associazione per la Decrescita, Spiazzi, IUAV, Universitá di Udine, Cittá di Venezia, Arci, Kuminda and Sesterzo
- 4° Int. Conference in Leipzig (2014) (http://leipzig.degrowth.org/en/) hosted by Konzeptwerk Neue Ökonomie, Förderverein Wachstumswende e.V., DFG-Research Group “Postwachstumsgesellschaften” at the University of Jena, University of Leipzig
- 5° Int. Conference in Budapest (2016) (https://budapest.degrowth.org/) hosted by Cargonomia (Hungary), Institute for Political Ecology (Croatia), Focus (Slovenia), Greendependent Institute (Hungary), Ena banda (Slovenia) and Corvinus University (Hungary).
Support group (SG): The SG is the official promoter of the International Conferences.
Members: The SG is composed of people who have been highly involved in the local organizing committees of the previous international conferences. Each organizing committee can propose from one to five people for the Support Group (gender balance is preferred). Our recommendation is that we have a group of a maximum of fifteen people to ensure operative and fast decision-making.
All members of each local organizing committee should be informed and consulted on the process by the members they have chosen to represent them in the SG. In order to have a smoother and more effective communication, each group has a contact Person.
- Paris: Francois Schneider;
- Barcelona: Brototi Roy, Sofia Avila and Federico Demaria;
- Montreal: Bob Thomson and Yves-Marie Abraham ;
Venice: Silvio Cristiano , Jean-Louis Aillon, Chiara Marchetti; - Leipzig: Nina Treu, Corinna Burkhart, Gualter Babtista, Barbara Muraca;
- Budapest: Lidija Zivcic, Mladen Domazet, Vincent Liegey.
The Coordinator(s) work(s) with the email-address: supportgroup@degrowth.org. At the moment, the coordinators are Lidija Zivcic and Vincent Liegey.
Tasks: The SG is to be responsible for:
– Drafting and advertising the call for new conferences on basis of the old call (during or right after the previous conference);
– Receiving and evaluating proposals for new conferences;
– Making a decision based on the criteria expressed in the Call (at least one year and a half before the next conference, so as to give enough time to the selected host);
– Following-up, advising, monitoring and, if necessary, participating in the local organizing committee of the next conference.
– The SG puts together a list of names for the Advisory Board for the DG-conferences (from the past conferences) and offers the list as a suggestion to the LOCs
Decision-making process
Concerning the call: the Support Group edits and improves the draft based on the previous Call.
Concerning the selection: once proposals are received, each member of SG will express, with a concise comment or comments, which are the three proposals, ranked by preference, that she/he considers most interesting. A complementary option would also be to mark how each proposal scores according to the criteria mentioned in the call (e.g. from 1 to 10). Each member should then express in a concise paragraph, which one of the three proposals that she/he has selected and would like to support and why. Once proposals preferred by most of the members have been identified, the Support Group will try to achieve a consensus, through exchanges, both via mail and email, and then, if necessary, via a phone conference call.
If after one month a decision has not been taken, then the Support Group will vote and the proposal that gets the majority of votes will be selected.