Pathways Forum #12 - Resource-hungry societies and a future in flux: Insights from social metabolism

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Friday 15 March 2024 14:00-16:00 CET. Online, Zoom.

Economic growth, through the increase of goods and services, has long been narrated as resulting in better efficiency and comfort for consumers. However, the resource extraction and infrastructures needed to support economic growth also results in growing inequalities and systematic environmental degradation.

At a time where socio-environmental sustainability is paramount, is a decrease in resource use and their associated emissions compatible with sustained economic growth? How to identify and address the material structures and social processes that entrench unsustainable socio-economic systems? What transformations are needed in order to start envisioning alternative societies for a sustainable and just future?

This webinar explores how the social metabolic analysis framework provides powerful insights into the interrelations between society, environment, and economy. The session will cover the key concepts of social metabolism, and how it can be applied to sustainability issues. As a framework seeking to bridge the social and natural sciences, we will also discuss how a variety of disciplinary approaches can contribute to socio-metabolic research.

Speakers:

Helmut Haberl, Institute of Social Ecology Vienna

Eric Pineault, Université du Québec

Anke Schaffartzik, Central European University

Discussion facilitator:
Benjamin Fleischmann, Ph.D student at the Institute of Social Ecology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna.