2nd colloquium for early career researchers
Infinite growth is not possible in a finite world. Despite this, modern societies rely exclusively on growth economies to develop, secure and expand their prosperity, at the cost of overexploiting resources and constantly increasing levels of emissions that will destroy humanity’s conditions for survival in the medium term. At the colloquium, internationally renowned scientists from various disciplines, including Prof. Dr. Dirk Messner, Prof. Dr. Niko Paech and Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich, presented alternatives to the growth economy for discussion and, in joint workshops with young scientists, attempted to open up areas of thought and possibilities for a post-growth economy and paths to sustainability.
Program
March 9, 2013
2.30 p.m. – Opening of the colloquium Klaus Wiegandt Founder and Chairman of the Forum for Responsibility, former Spokesman of the Management Board of METRO AG
14.45 – Lecture: Consumption and production in industrialized nations – a central problem on the way to sustainable development Klaus Wiegandt
16.00 – Lecture: Post-growth economy Prof. Dr. Niko Paech apl. professor at the Chair of Production and Environment (PUM) at the University of Oldenburg
17.00 – Lecture: The political culture of a post-growth economy Dr. Reinhard Loske Chairman of the Study Group on Global Issues for the Future of the German Council on Foreign Relations in Berlin, Head of the “Sustainable Germany” research group at the Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy (1992-1998), Member of the Bundestag (1998-2007), Senator for Environment, Construction, Transport and Europe of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (2007-2011)
18.00 – Panel discussion
March 10, 2014
09.00 a.m. – Lecture: Decoupling: Are steady growth and ecological sustainability compatible? Dr. Bernd Sommer Research Associate at the Norbert Elias Center for Transformation Design & Research (NEC) at the University of Flensburg
10.00 a.m. – Lecture: Working society without growth? Prof. Dr. Hans Diefenbacher Associate Professor of Economics at the Alfred Weber Institute at the University of Heidelberg, Deputy Director of the Research Institute of the Protestant Study Community/Institute for Interdisciplinary Research (FEST) in Heidelberg
11.30 a.m. – Lecture: Wanting to have. On consumption and other phenomena of prosperity Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich Professor of Art Studies and Media Theory at the Karlsruhe University of Arts and Design, author, lecturer, consultant
14.00 – Lecture: Transformation or transformations? The path to a sustainable modern age Prof. Dr. Harald Welzer Director of Futur Zwei. Stiftung Zukunftsfähigkeit, Professor for Transformation Design, University of Flensburg
from 3.30 p.m. until the evening Workshops on the topic “How do we get CONCRETE into the post-growth society?”
March 11, 2013
09.00 – Continuation of the workshops
11.00 – Presentation of the results of the workshops Moderation: Harald Welzer