In a world facing ecological limits and social inequalities, the mainstream growth paradigm is increasingly unsustainable. A growing number of actors from academia and civil society have thus been advocating for post-growth approaches that prioritise environmental sustainability, social equity and human well-being over economic growth. Often, these growth-critical alternatives are situated at the local or, at best, national level. However, a global post-growth transition would require substantial institutional shifts beyond the national scale to change the operating logics of international institutions and global governance practices. In the first part of the workshop, which connects the fields of International Relations, ecological economics and broader sustainability studies, participants receive a concise input on the politics of (post-)growth and sustainability in international organisations (IOs) as key actors on the global scene. We also share preliminary insights from our ongoing research on (post-)growth in the SDG forums of the United Nations and in the European Environment Agency. In the second part, participants split into small groups to plan post-growth transitions in an exemplary IO (real-world or imaginary) and develop concrete policy recommendations. The workshop concludes with a plenary in which the members of each group present their results and discuss them with their peers.

This workshop will be offered once in German and once in English!