Ever since the success of the so-called Wirtschaftswunder (economic miracle) in post-war Germany, economic growth has remained the largely undisputed goal of economists and economic policy. The number of dissenting voices, however, employing terms such as post-growth, steady-state economies, or even degrowth, is increasing. In his newly published dissertation, IÖW-researcher and economist Steffen Lange has undertaken a comprehensive look at how a growth-free economy might function from a macroeconomic perspective. more

Effective February 2018, Dr. Christian Lautermann assumes leadership of the research field Corporate Management and Consumption at IÖW in Berlin. The economist’s work focusses on topics of sustainable management, corporate ethics, corporate social responsibility (CSR), and social/sustainable entrepreneurship. more

How can cities and municipalities contribute to climate mitigation? What are the municipal institutions, actors and processes that matter? Which areas of activity and which approaches show promising results? These are the questions addressed in this anthology of the Cological Reaerch Network (ecornet), co-edited by Johannes Rupp, scientist at IÖW. In the book, researchers describe and analyse in 14 articles how the implementation of the Paris Agreement can be advanced by activities at the local level. more

The International Association for the Study of the Commons and the Research Group Right Seeds invite researchers to participate in the international workshop “Conceptualizing the New Commons: The Examples of Knowledge Commons & Seed and Variety Commons” in Oldenburg, Germany from 6th to 8th June 2018. Abstract submission is now open. Interested researchers are invited to advance conceptual-theoretical and organizational perspectives on the new commons. Deadline for submission of abstracts is February 25th, 2018. IÖW is project partner in the project Right Seeds. more

How easy is it to buy sustainable products on the Internet? A ranking of the 100 highest-grossing online shops in Germany now reveals which provides the best information on the environmental and social compatibility aspects of the products they sell. The ranking was published by IÖW, together with the consumer protection association Fo.KUS Konsum, Umwelt und Soziales. “During the Christmas holidays, a number of online retailers are anticipating new sales records. Quick and convenient shopping in the world’s largest department store is the lure of online commerce. Nevertheless, for consumers shopping for sustainably produced products, this vision does not hold or is only valid to a limited extent,” says study author Helmut Hagemann, commenting on the results. The five online sellers in Germany best serving the sustainable goods consumer are: otto.de, quelle.de, conrad.de, bonprix.de, and tchibo.de. more

The new IÖW-Annual Report has arrived. In our Annual Report we report on our projects, topics and publications from 2016/2017. Learn more about our topics Digital Transformation, Products and Consumption or Climate and Energy. more

The field of economics is once more under fire: too little research is being devoted to the development of sustainable, feasible solutions to the problems of climate change, financial crises, and social and economic structural change; in the wake of the recent financial crisis, a fundamental reform of the teaching of economics is still pending. In order to improve this situation, the conference “Economic Sciences and Social-Ecological Transformation” was attended on 6 November 2017 by approximately 200 participants from various research fields and areas of interest that included economics, the social and sustainability sciences, and representatives of civil society, business, and public policy. They debated how scientists in the fields of economics and business could better contribute to a sustainable transformation of society. more

Recent technological changes as well as social and organizational innovations have spurred a broad transformation of dominant means and ends for value creation. A fundamental transition has begun: from big, centralized factories to far more decentralized places of production. New forms of value creation emerge due to “disruptive elements” such as “FabLabs”, “Maker-” or “hackerspaces”. Those new labs have technologically advanced profiles, allow individuals access to production technologies and are accompanied by digital ideas of Open Source Hardware or Open Innovation. more

The Institute for Ecological Economy Research is in the top group of climate-think-tanks in a ranking of the International Center for Climate Governance (ICCG). The Venice-based research center analyzed 244 non-university institutes in the fields of climate politics and economics of climate change. The ranking, which is based on 15 different indicators, has been conducted for the third time since 2012. more

The aim of the study is to demonstrate what a climate-friendly and socially responsible road map for transition for Vattenfall’s phaseout of lignite in Germany by 2030 could look like. To this end, the report first outlined a road map for the phaseout of lignite and compared its (regional) economic advantages and disadvantages. Then, to ensure a socially responsible phaseout, and in particular to provide for the loss of jobs, an alternative road map was drafted that showed how this loss of jobs could be compensated by the expansion of renewable energies, at least in terms of numbers. more