14 November 2018 - 15 November 2018
Vienna, Austria

Europe in Transition: A strategic shift towards greater sustainability is needed – but how can it be achieved?

Prof.Dr. Nebojsa Nakicenovic speaking 4th international Growth in Transition Conference

© City of Vienna

© City of Vienna

“Europe’s Transformation: Where People Matter”, the 4th international Growth in Transition Conference, takes place on 14 and 15 November 2018 in the context of Austria’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Speakers from the social and environment sectors are joining others from economics and politics to meet with about 700 conference participants at the Austria Center in Vienna. The theme of this year’s Conference is the implementation of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Climate Agreement. The conference will be opened by Ban Ki-moon, the former General Secretary of the United Nations and current President and Chair of the Council of the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI).

The Vice President of the European Commission, Frans Timmermans, the Dutch Minister for Infrastructure and Water Management, Stientje van Veldhoven, and Austria’s Environment Minister, Elisabeth Köstinger, will be setting out their positions and goals at the conference. Kate Raworth, the economist and sustainability expert who teaches at both Oxford and Cambridge universities, will present her concept of ‘Doughnut Economics’ – an economic model that respects the ecological limits of the planet while ensuring quality of life for its human inhabitants. Tim Jackson, Professor of Sustainable Development at the University of Surrey and author of “Prosperity Without Growth”, will address questions concerning the environment and societal transformation.

There will be insightful contributions too from the former President of the Sustainable Development Observatory, Brenda King, innovation researcher Emma Dewberry, the Executive Director of the European Environment Agency, Hans Bruyninckx, and the social scientist and expert on poverty, Michaela Moser. The Head of the Austrian Institute for Economic Research, Christoph Badelt, and Willibald Cernko, from the ERSTE Bank, will share fascinating reflections on aspects of growth and economic development.

About the Conference

The 4th Growth in Transition Conference, “Europe`s Transformation: Where People Matter”, on 14 and 15 November 2018 in Hofburg Palace in Vienna offers a platform for discussion around sustainability and growth. Showcasing a broad spectrum of perspectives from politics, economics and civil society, it encourages active participation in the transformation of society. The conference is organised by the Austrian Federal Ministry for Sustainability and Tourism and the Austrian Environment Agency in the context of Austria’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union. It is supported by Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration and a further 30 partner organisations. The conference is funded by Horizon 2020, the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation.

Prof. Dr. Nakicenovic will present TWI2050 in the parallel sessions "The SDGs as Compass for Transformation" on November 15, 14:00 - 15:30.

Venue: Hofburg Conference Centre

Further information:

Ingeborg Zechmann, Environment Agency, 


The World in 2050 (TWI2050) initiative

The TWI2050 initiative endeavors to demonstrate how the objectives of sustainable development within planetary boundaries can be met, ensuring prosperity, social inclusion, and good governance for all. TWI2050 is a global research initiative launched by the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), and the Stockholm Resilience Centre (SRC). The initiative brings together a network of more than 150 participants that includes leading policymakers, analysts, modeling and analytical teams from 60 organizations from around the world to collaborate in developing pathways toward sustainable futures and the policy frameworks needed for implementing the SDGs, and more importantly, for achieving the needed transformational change.


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Last edited: 07 November 2018

CONTACT DETAILS

Nebojsa Nakicenovic

Distinguished Emeritus Research Scholar Transformative Institutional and Social Solutions Research Group - Energy, Climate, and Environment Program

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PUBLICATIONS

International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)
Schlossplatz 1, A-2361 Laxenburg, Austria
Phone: (+43 2236) 807 0 Fax:(+43 2236) 71 313