Key takeaways of III ECG International Conference 2024
15 de July de 2024
From June 3rd to 5th, 2024, the city of Leeuwarden in The Netherlands hosted the III ECG International Conference 2024, gathering 230 participants from over 12 countries. This conference featured 8 keynote speakers, a pivotal roundtable discussion with representatives from five prominent economic models—well-being, care, doughnut economics, social and solidarity, and EBC—44 scientific paper presentations, 8 posters, and 10 practical case studies.
The presence of the UOC and MeL
José Carlos Ramos, member of the Management and e-Learning (MeL) research group, was there and was part of the organizing committee of the international conference.
The UOC presented also presented four papers in progress, in which José Carlos Ramos participated in all of them. Also participared Cintia Pla, member of MeL research group. These papers were the following:
- New scenarios for competition. The birth of common good oriented competition. A case study analysis. J Lladós. JC Ramos
- Mapping the Intersection of Common Good and Marketing with a bibliometric analysis. An Ethical Imperative for Sustainable Business Practices. Bibliometric analysis. C Pla, JC Ramos
- Top performing companies in sustainability. What distinguishes them from classical businesses?. J Albors, JC Ramos
- From business plan to impact plan. Developing a new business model framework for organizations and startups. A case project for education. F Bonilla, JC Ramos
About the conference
The III ECG International Conference brought together an array of keynote speakers who addressed critical topics related to economic models and sustainability. Matthias Olthaar emphasized the significant impact of material and land use on biodiversity and water stress, arguing against the feasibility of green decoupling. Rutger Hoekstra from the Wellbeing Economy Alliance highlighted the Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI) as a more comprehensive measure of economic welfare compared to GDP, incorporating environmental and social factors. Niels Faber discussed the importance of embedding value in materials and products rather than solely in transactions, advocating for a shift towards associational organizations with common goals rather than market-driven targets.
Cees Buisman underscored the environmental impact of industrial agriculture, particularly water usage and pesticide pollution. Bas van Bavel examined historical market economies, detailing their cycles of growth and decline and the role of market elites in creating social polarization and institutional sclerosis. His analysis suggested that associations, rather than markets, could better represent the common good and maintain long-term prosperity and equity.
These keynote addresses collectively stressed the need for new economic paradigms that prioritize sustainability, well-being, and equitable growth, challenging the traditional reliance on GDP as a measure of success.
