System Change Horizontal Programme

The current economic system is at the heart of the climate breakdown. Human overconsumption, large-scale natural resource extraction, pollution, and labour exploitation in the name of continuous economic growth are only a few consequences of our growth-based economic system. Obsession with economic growth stresses our planetary boundaries and exacerbates social and economic inequalities. There is an urgent need for an economic model that goes beyond the predominant growth imperative to protect and preserve the environment for future generations. Solutions to these challenges need to be participatory and democratic to ensure they represent all generations.

The EU currently promotes a growth-oriented green transition based on the European Green Deal rather than addressing the core flaws of our system. Moreover, the EU’s Economic Governance framework is still GDP based, including few indicators that escape the scope of macroeconomic concerns and depend on rigid fiscal rules. However, the importance of new economic thinking is rising on the EU agenda, with the Beyond Growth Conference taking place in May 2023.

Young people and the wider civil society are often excluded from decision-making processes even though they are important actors in our future economies and societies. Therefore, youth needs to continue advocating for a beyond-growth economy that provokes systemic changes and drives an intergenerational just and green transition.

Aims:

• Inspire and mobilise young people and youth organisations to engage with alternative economic models and policy solutions,
• Advocate towards the EU decision-makers around an economy striving for alternative visions of prosperity and intergenerational justice.

Policies addressed:

European Green Deal, EU Economic Governance Review

Deliverables:

• Develop a manifesto on the youth vision for a new economy bringing together the voices of young people and youth organisations
• Create a report on the views of young people towards our current economic system and alternative visions of prosperity
• Produce educational materials on the competences that youth needs to support a green and intergenerational just economic transition in collaboration with the intergenerational justice, and education and skills teams
• Organise a training for young people on new economic thinking
• Develop a policy brief on how the EU’s economic transition and/or Economic Governance Framework revision can deliver intergenerational justice
• Produce a paper on the importance of EU taxonomy for young people and intergenerational justice
• Strengthen the external representation of GCE and its work on rethinking our economy via active engagement in various events and conferences
• Engage in lectures or educational activities of at least one European university
• Engage with the relevant organisations, networks and coalitions active on beyond growth economy, such as the EU Wellbeing Economy Coalition
• Build partnerships with at least 5 new youth organisations in Europe
• Expand our relationship with Member Organisations on the topic of a new economy striving for alternative visions of prosperity and intergenerational justice.

Throughout human history, natural heritage has been passed on from one generation to the next. This includes the atmosphere, plants, oceans, soils, animals, and natural resources – both renewable and exhaustible. Yet, this heritage has been jeopardised by centuries of exploitative and oppressive practices in the name of progress, hindering the quality of life of present and future generations.

The concept of intergenerational justice emphasises that the rights of past, present and future generations to live on a healthy planet with access to food, clean air, and clean water are equal. And yet, many of the current decisions are locking youth and future generations into a growth-oriented and destructive fossil fuel economy. Each generation is inevitably bound by actions and decisions taken by the previous one, and will have an impact on future generations. Consequently, decisions will only be just and fair if the interests of future generations are considered. Decision makers need to look beyond short-term gains and re-election strategies: they need to use intergenerational justice to guide their decisions.

Intergenerational justice needs to receive more consideration at the EU level to ensure that long-term thinking is at the heart of our decision-making processes. However, efforts like the upcoming 2023 Strategic Foresight Report addressing the well-being of current and future generations reflect the slowly increasing importance of intergenerational justice at the EU level.

Aims:

• Raise awareness and knowledge regarding the implementation of intergenerational justice in the EU and Member States’ climate and sustainability policies among youth and decision-makers
• Advocate for the integration of intergenerational justice in EU decision-making processes on climate and sustainability issues

Policies addressed:

2023 Strategic Foresight Report, European Green Deal

Deliverables:

• Organise a high-level multi-stakeholder event, bringing together youth representatives, EU and national decision-makers and experts on intergenerational justice
• Publish a report on the role of intergenerational justice in key EU environmental and climate policies
• Publish an advocacy toolkit on advocating for intergenerational justice in EU decision-making processes on climate and environmental issues
• Publish a series of social media posts on intergenerational justice
• Produce a stakeholder mapping on actors active in the intergenerational justice sphere
• Engage in the development of the 2023 EU Strategic Foresight Report through the relevant consultations and platforms
• Organise meetings with relevant decision-makers regarding intergenerational justice