Hans Bruyninckx, Executive Director of the European Environment Agency
Moderation: Corinna Milborn and Peter Woodward, Conference Facilitators

The “Call for Action” will be a résumé of the findings from the plenary sessions as well as from the interactive formats of the breakout sessions and will be transmitted to the European Commission. The draft of the “Call to Action” will be elaborated by the EAA together with the GiT Steering Committee and will be presented at the conference. Then, the findings of the conference will be discussed with all participants at this break-out session, in particular with the participating youth, and will be included in the paper. This “Call for Action” will comprise the main conclusions of the conference in matters of policy options and priorities to be set as next steps as well as an outlook to future activities of the Growth in Transition Initiative.

Organised by: Federal Ministry for Sustainability and Tourism

Nebojsa Nakicenovic, Deputy Director, The International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)
“Transformation for Sustainable Futures”
Panel:
Andrea Stocker, Researcher, Sustainable Research Institute Europe
Daniela Kletzan-Slamanig, Senior Researcher, Austrian Institute of Economic Research
Willi Haas, Senior Researcher, Institute of Social Ecology, University of Natural Ressources and Life Sciences Vienna
Moderation: Beate Littig, Head of the division Socio-Ecological Transformation Research, Institue for Advanced Studies

The challenges related to achieving the UN SDGs require fundamental transformation processes. Whereas the SDGs have been globally accepted as political targets, more research is still needed in order to provide a knowledge base for their successful implementation. One of the pressing questions is how to deal with synergies and trade-offs between the different SDGs and the corresponding sub-targets as will be addressed in the keynote of this session. The panel discussion takes up these aspects and puts the focus on Austria.

Organised by: Austrian Institute of Economic Research

Rosemarie Stangl, Professor of Soil Bioengineering and Landscape Construction, University of Natural Ressources and Life Sciences Vienna
Moderation: Ines Omann, Senior researcher a Institute for Ecological Economics, Vienna University of Economics and Business

While the term “bioeconomy” refers to an economy based on natural biotic resources, its exact meaning leaves ample room for interpretation, so that different people speak very different things when relating to the concept. Based on the used definition, the implications that arise vary significantly in their range. Together we want to collaborate on an environmentally friendly and socially-inclusive approach to bioeconomy and offer a definition as a necessary precondition for a common understanding, which shall trigger a fruitful debate. Thereby we identify possible conflicts in the use of scarce resources and discuss challenges, risks as well as opportunities for sustainable pathways of the notion of a biobased economy. By asking participants to offer their individual contribution and understanding we hope to explore how a sustainable bioeconomy can look like.

Organised by: Ecosocial Forum, Vienna University of Economics and Business, Center for Social Innovation, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna

Sigrid Stagl, Vienna University of Economics and Business
Panel:
Sylvia Leodolter, Chamber of Labour
Pablo Solón Romero, Fundación Solón
Johannes Wahlmüller, GLOBAL 2000
Susi Haslinger, social policy expert, PRO-GE

Moderation: Alexandra Strickner, Attac

EU leaders have not only agreed to cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40% (compared to 1990 levels) by 2030. The EU is also committed to reducing emissions by 80-95% by 2050. The road to a low-carbon economy will have major effects on workers’ jobs, livelihoods and consumption patterns. To minimize hardship, international organisations such as ILO and ITUC make use of the framework of “just transition”. This requires social dialogue and the democratic participation of stakeholders.

Organised by: Chamber of Labour Vienna, Attac, GLOBAL 2000, PRO-GE

Josefina Lindblom, DG Environment, European Commision
Thomas Lützkendorf, Director of the Centre for Real Estate at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)
Guillaume Habert, Chair of Sustainable Construction, ETH Zürich
Alexander Passer, Professor for Sustainable Construction at Graz University of Technology
Oskar Mair am Tinkhof, Salzburg Institute for Regional Planning and Housing
Günter Getzinger, Professor at Graz University of Technology

The aim of the session is to underline the need for a transformation of the built environment. Due to economic importance of the construction and real estate sector covering our human needs for shelter and infrastructure, the anthropogenic material flows and the high energy demand as well as the associated emissions, there is a great need for action in the direction of sustainable development. To tackle these challenges in the sense of the Global Grand Challenges, UN Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development and the Paris Climate Agreement, a paradigm shift is needed in the construction industry (planers and contractors), on the part of procurers (public and private investors, real estate sector) as well as on the demand side (user needs and user behaviour).

Organised by: Federal Ministry for Education, Science and Research, Graz University of Technology, ETH Zürich, Karlsruher Institute fof Technology (KIT) und Alliance of Sustainable Universities in Austria

Coffee and drinks are available at the foyer areas.