When? June 16-19, 2026
Where? Krakow, Poland
Across Central and Eastern Europe, people are experiencing overlapping crises: rising living costs, environmental degradation, work precarity and growing inequalities. Climate and economic transformations are often presented as trade-offs – between satisfying social needs and caring for the environment. Yet many social movements, trade unions, community initiatives and researchers are asking a shared question: how can we ensure good life for all within planetary boundaries? Degrowth offers a framework to imagine a green and just transition that prioritises well-being, care and fairness over endless economic growth, rejecting the need for “sacrifices”.
As a social movement and practice, as well as a field of academic research, degrowth is becoming an increasingly clear and serious proposition, yet it is still mainly voiced by West European theory and practice. That is why this conference want to talk about degrowth in the context of Central and Eastern Europe. Countries from the former Eastern Block aspiring to ‘catch up with the West’. Societies that are rather sceptical about climate policies and perceive green transition as a cost rather than an opportunity. Economies largely based on non-renewable energy sources, still experiencing the consequences of an unjust political transition for the world of work. ‘Young’ democracies, increasingly vulnerable to attacks from the far right. Places where discussions about de/militarisation are taking place in the shadow of the ongoing war in Ukraine and the threat of Russian aggression. Let’s talk about degrowth in the CEE region and develop regional responses, tasks, and propositions!
Degrowth addresses the negative consequences of consumerism (psychological stress, long working hours and positional competition) and discusses the benefits of frugal lifestyles. Henri Lefebvre, a French philosopher from the 20th century, argues that if ideas or values are not physically implemented in space, they become mere fantasies. As such, if degrowth wishes to prevail, it has to leave it...
Given the strategic indeterminacy of the degrowth movement that has been discussed in earlier articles within this series, we will consider the role that policy may play within the broader scope of a degrowth transformation and as one important focus within a plurality of movements. Specifically, working to move the focus of policy towards instruments that shift the rules of the competitive env...
It´s now the second time that the Degrowth Summer School will take place at the Climate Camp in the Rhineland. While last year´s event was under the banner of climate justice, this year it is called „skills for system change“. We´ve asked Christopher Laumanns from the organizing team about the reasoning behind it and what to expect at the camp. Why is the fusion between degrowth and the cl...
