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„’Understanding Sustainability Economics. Towards Pluralism in Economics’ – Economics for Sustainable Development” – International Workshop of the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation

Workshop Program

28th October
3.00 p.m.: Beginning and Welcome – Lutz Brangsch
3.15 p.m.: Introduction – Judith Dellheim
3.30 p.m.: “Understanding Sustainable Economics” – Peter Söderbaum
4.05 p.m.: Ecological Economics and critical theory of modern society –
Frieder Otto Wolf
4.20 p.m.: Ecological Economics: Sustainability in Practice – Stanislav Shmelev
4.30 p.m.: Coffee Break
5.00 p.m.: Discussion
5.55 p.m.: A Short Summary
6.00 p.m.: End of the first Workshop day, Snack, Small Talk

29th October
10.00 a.m.: Beginning – Judith Dellheim
10.05 a.m.: “What makes neoclassical economics attractive? What is its strength
based on?”; Introduction – Leif Bratt
10.15 a.m.: Short remarks from the Accounting Perspective – Judy Brown
10.20 a.m.: Short remarks from the Business Perspective – Eva Kras
10.25 a.m.: Discussion
11.20 a.m.: Coffee Break
11.40 a.m.: Discussion
12.20 a.m.: Lunch Break
1.30 p.m.:  A Short Summary
1.35 p.m.:  “Challenges, roles and limits (?) of an economic science that wants to
help realizing sustainability”; Introduction – Ali Douai
1.45 p.m.:  Short remarks from the Accounting Perspective – Judy Brown
1.50 p.m.:  Short remarks from the Business Perspective – Eva Kras
1.55 p.m.:  Discussion
3.30 p.m.:  A Short Summary
3.35 p.m.:  Coffee Break
4.00 p.m.   “Possibilities, impediments and opportunities of pluralism in economic
science – in research and teaching –; strategies for achieving it, in order
to reinforce pro-sustainability economic policy”. Introduction –
(a) Joachim H. Spangenberg, (b) Jack E. Reardon
4.25 p.m.:  Short remark from the Accounting Perspective – Judy Brown
4.30 p.m.:  Short remarks from the Business Perspective – Eva Kras
4.35 p.m.:  Discussion
5.15 p.m.:  Shaping a Pluralistic and Deliberative Democratic Approach for
Sustainability Economics – Małgorzata A. Dereniowska
5.25 p.m.:  Discussion
5.55 p.m.:  A Short Summary
6.00 p.m.:  End of the second Workshop day, Conference Dinner.

30th October
10.00 a.m.: Beginning – Judith Dellheim
10.05 a.m.: “Conclusions for an alternative economic policy”; Introduction –
Leo Seserko
10.15 a.m.: Short remarks from the Accounting Perspective – Judy Brown
10.20 a.m.: Short remarks from the Business Perspective – Eva Kras
10.25 a.m.: Discussion
11.30 a.m.: A Short Summary
11.35 a.m.: Coffee Break
12.00 a.m.: Information and Discussion on “Rio+20”
12.10 a.m.: Discussion and Proposals
12.30 a.m.: Concluding Remarks – (a) Peter Söderbaum, (b) Lutz Brangsch
12.45 a.m.: Feedback
1.00 p.m.:   End of the Workshop, Snack, Small Talk.

International workshop on Peter Söderbaums “Understanding Sustainability Economics. Towards Pluralism in Economics” in Berlin, Rosa Luxemburg Foundation, October 28-30, 2011)

The workshop signals the resumption of our RLF series on alternative economic science and economic policy “Is Another Economy Possible? Concepts of an Alternative Economy”. As with its predecessors, the planned workshop is intended as a contribution, from an economic-policy perspective, to the strategy debate of left and democratic-socialist protagonists.

These protagonists must first reflect on the fact that, and the reason why, they are still in the political defensive. Why is it that, despite the obvious weaknesses of neoliberal ideology and despite all the deficits of neoclassical economics, they have so far not been able to push back the influence of neoclassicism in economic teaching, research and economic practice?

Why is it necessary to focus alternative economics on sustainable development, and why does this necessarily imply advocating pluralism in economics? Where, however, is the dividing line between pro-sustainability economic-doctrine pluralism, on the one hand, and arbitrariness, on the other hand? For this reason especially but also for others – what challenges should be given to research and the teaching of economics?

Moreover, is it not necessary to question new the object of economic science, on the one hand, and of economic policy, on the other, and to configure them in a new way in order to be able to support a social policy for sustainability? And is it not equally necessary to locate pro-sustainability economic science and economic policy in a new relation to other disciplines and tendencies such as feminisms and eco-socialism?

More concretely posed: What are the object and protagonists of economic policy in general, and what are the object, protagonists and modes of operation of “sustainability economics” in particular?

[To colleagues in the discipline one would additionally ask: What does this mean for work on socio-ecological reconstruction and socialist transformation research?]

Finally, we should ask: What is urgent to do first, and can we make an appointment for this?

The workshop guests and interested people are asked to refer to Peter Söderbaum’s 2008 book and to post their ideas on some questions raised by it. The maximum length is 2,000 to 3,000 characters.

On the basis of the contributions the following thematic areas or discussion sessions are conceivable:

1.         What makes neoclassical economics attractive? What is its strength based on?

2.         Challenges, roles and limits (?) of an economic science that wants to help realise sustainability.

3.         Possibilities, impediments and opportunities of pluralism in economic science – in research and teaching -; strategies for achieving it, in order to reinforce pro-sustainability economic policy

4.         Conclusions for an alternative economic policy

The working languages are English and German.

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