20 Jan 2023
Despite thirty years of desperate warnings from scientists and civil society, we have so far failed to address the looming catastrophes of runaway climate change, biodiversity loss, social inequality, and democratic decay. All the possible futures that we face in this moment involve transformative change. Either we reshape the ways our societies function, or these crises will overwhelm our societies and economies, causing untold suffering.
We believe that the only way to deliver a fair and fast transition lies in new economies and new social contracts: covenants between citizens, their states and others such as businesses and nature.
For creating and realizing a sustainable, healthy and just future for societies worldwide it will require a fundamental renegotiation of our current social contracts, which implies institutional change as well as multiple parties, multiple sectors, and multiple levels of governance to act and collaborate effectively.
This roundtable offers a space for leaders from politics, business, civil society and academia to connect and offer thought leadership to influence change and the direction of a new social contract in Europe. The roundtable will showcase inspiring examples of new social contract formations at different levels and in various contexts and discuss future steps and possible cooperation.
The speakers and panellists will include:
Mary Robinson, the first woman President of Ireland and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, who will deliver the keynote address
Patrick Huntjens, award-winning author of the international academic bestseller ‘Towards a Natural Social Contract’
Donald Pols - Director, Milieudefensie
Najma Mohamed - Policy Director, Green Economy Coalition
Hans Stegeman - Chief Economist, Triodos Bank
Marine Cornelis - Next Energy Consumer, Europe
Paul Ladd - Director, UNRISD
Dharmendra Kanani - COO, Friends of Europe
Nikki Trip - Shareholders of the Future
Isabell Kempf - Head of UNRISD Bonn Office
Maria Geuze - Director, Slow Food Youth Network
Frank Boons - Director, Maastricht Sustainability Institute