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ABOUT POLICY LAB

VISION

The vision of Policy Lab is a just, ecologically sustainable, democratic and peaceful world, where economic and social systems are aligned with ecological limits and the needs of communities.

MISSION

Policy Lab, an independent and non-profit a think-and-act tank, has a mission to change the dominance of GDP as the sole policy objective that fuels social inequality and ecological extraction, and to create collaborative spaces for research, political action and inspiration to create systemic change.

UNDERSTANDING DEGROWTH

Degrowth as a Transition and Post-growth as a Destination

In the midst of global polycrises, Policy Lab is committed to degrowth – a deliberate shift away from the GDP-driven economy as the sole policy metric towards one in which prosperity thrives without expansion. This approach, fundamentally different from recession, aims to stabilise the economy to prevent ecological collapse, address climate change and improve social well-being.

Unlike individual corporate efforts, which fall short, degrowth requires systemic change and advocates:

  • Reducing sectors such as fossil fuels and fast fashion.
  • Improving public services and introducing a green jobs guarantee.
  • Shorter workweeks to promote community engagement and personal well-being.

Globally, we are witnessing important shifts in our understanding of progress and development. 74% of people in the G20 countries said they want national economic priorities to move beyond increasing profits and wealth to focus more on human well-being and protecting the environment.

Policy Lab is at the forefront of this paradigm shift, advocating a degrowth model that respects our ecological limits while ensuring everyone has access to the necessities of life.

PEOPLE

Policy Lab is a fresh, forward-thinking organisation founded by Ajda Pistotnik and Aljoša Slameršak, a passionate duo dedicated to shaping the future of policy-making.

Our team may be small at the moment, but we are committed to making a significant impact in the world of social-ecological transformation.

With aspirations for expansion on the horizon, stay tuned as we grow and welcome new members to our team in the coming months.

Ajda Pistotnik

Co-Founder & Director
ajda@policylab.si

Ajda Pistotnik is co-founder and director of Policy Lab, a think-and-act tank focused on the radical transformation of economies and societies through degrowth. She co-organised the first Degrowth! Political School in 2022, followed by the one in 2024, and is now part of Horizon Europe GreenPaths project, a knowledge hub for green and just transitions.

Her research spans the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and its impact on land use, as well as redefining progress, financial architecture & debt, global inequalities and radical grassroots imagination. She has also explored Doughnut Economics as a tool for a post-GDP Europe, and has contributed to the Slovenian degrowth community through book translations, journal editing and event organisation, including the 2016 International Degrowth Conference in Budapest.

She has presented her research work on debt politics and advocated for debt audit and its cancellation at high-profile forums, including the G20 in Hamburg, UNCTAD in Nairobi and the IMF Annual Meetings in Lima.

Ajda is also a member of FundAction, a participatory activist-led grantmaking fund.

Aljoša Slameršak

Co-Founder & Consultant
aljosa@policylab.si

Aljoša Slameršak, PhD, is a Co-founder and Consultant at the Policy Lab. He brings a wealth of expertise gained from his research career. His doctoral research, titled ‘The end of energy abundance: Embracing biophysical limits to a low-carbon energy transition,’ focused on environmental science and technology, degrowth, and low-carbon energy transition. This provides him with a unique perspective on the challenges we face.

Aljoša has published in prestigious scientific journals such as Nature Energy, Nature Communications, and The Lancet Planetary Health.

His work highlights the crucial need to transition to lower-energy use from low-carbon sources and address inequalities between the Global North and South. As a passionate advocate for sustainability, he is committed to utilizing his skills and knowledge to help create a more equitable and environmentally responsible future.

Blaž Kosovel

Consultant
blaz@policylab.si

Blaz Kosovel, PhD, is a Policy Lab Consultant who specialises in cultural studies. He has extensive experience as an independent researcher, editor of the quarterly journal ‘Razpotja’ (Crossroads), and cultural worker.

The author of ‘Why the US never had a Department of Culture‘ and a contributor to ‘The Routledge Handbook on the American Dream‘. His research covers intellectual and social history, as well as the cultural and urban geography of Western societies.

As part of the Nova Gorica 2025 European Capital of Culture project,  Kosovel’s project Ab Initio – an Urban Utopia explores modern new towns, their history, urbanism, and future challenges. A Fulbright Scholar at the City University of New York in 2013, Kosovel is a valuable addition to our interdisciplinary team.

ADVISORY BOARD

GUIDING OUR POST-GROWTH VISION

As a Think Tank for a post-growth future, Policy Lab collaborates actively with respected international intellectuals, representing a rich history of progressive activism and scholarship, nurturing a dynamic exchange of ideas. Collectively, we navigate the complexities of societal change and work towards a just and sustainable future.

Julia K. Steinberger

Professor at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland

We’re honoured to have Professor Julia K. Steinberger, a prominent figure in the field of Societal Challenges of Climate Change at the University of Lausanne, on our Advisory Board, leading our commitment to innovative and sustainable solutions. A lead author of the IPCC’s 6th Assessment Report with Working Group 3, Prof Steinberger has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals such as Nature Climate Change and Nature Sustainability. In particular, her groundbreaking research project ‘Living Well Within Limits’ won her the prestigious Leverhulme Research Leadership Award, underlining her commitment to exploring universal human well-being within planetary boundaries.

Mladen Domazet

Research Associate at the Institute for Philosophy & Institute for Political Ecology, Croatia

We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Mladen Domazet to Policy Lab’s esteemed Advisory Board. Dr. Domazet is a graduate of Oxford and Zagreb universities. His expertise spans theories of scientific explanation, degrowth-compatible frameworks for social transformation, and the societal attitudes crucial for sustainability. A dynamic contributor to the field, Dr. Domazet has played vital roles in organizing the 6th and 9th International Degrowth Conferences. Currently immersed in research on sustainability and degrowth dispositions within small semiperipheral societies, he explores the potential for ecological transformation in Europe.

J0BS AND INTERNSHIPS

Iščemo sodelavko, sodelavca za projektno delo & projektno koordiniranje

Si motiviran, organiziran in imaš izkušnje s koordiniranjem in spremljanjem projektnih aktivnosti? Si želiš sodelovati pri oblikovanju pravičnejših družbenih in ekonomskih sistemov? Če te privlači ustvarjanje projektov, ki se osredotočajo na koncepte, kot so odrast, okoljska pravičnost in družbena solidarnost in vidiš projektno delo kot ključno orodje za družbene spremembe, se pridruži Policy Lab kot projektni sodelavec – projektni koordinator!

PROJEKTNI SODELAVEC - PROJEKTNI KOORDINATOR (M/Ž)
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