Beyond GDP – Degrowth Regional Hub

Policy Lab is launching a new Beyond GDP – Degrowth Regional Hub. The programme responds to an increasingly urgent need for strategic, systemic and sustained capacity-building of civil society in a time of deepening polycrisis – from climate breakdown and environmental degradation to democratic backsliding and growing social inequalities.

In Slovenia, there is still no coordinated framework that would support the development of different economic and political imaginaries while at the same time equipping civil society with the concrete tools needed to intervene in public debates and policymaking. Discussions on degrowth, post-growth and Beyond GDP remain fragmented, mostly project-based, and weakly connected to legal, advocacy and institutional processes.

With this programme, Policy Lab is moving from individual projects to an integrated, mission-driven and future-oriented framework. Beyond GDP – Degrowth Regional Hub is grounded in a clear theory of change: structural transformation towards more just, democratic and ecologically resilient societies requires strong, organised and politically capable civil society.

The programme will strengthen our impact by:
– introducing systematic policy monitoring,
– developing legal and advocacy tools,
– professionalising strategic communication, and
– deepening the involvement of target groups in shaping both content and direction of the programme.

The upgraded programme is structured around four key pillars:

i. Strategic communication
Developing a coherent communication framework that positions degrowth as a values-based alternative aligned with core EU principles such as social justice, democracy and environmental protection.

ii. Strategic litigation and legal action
Introducing strategic litigation as a complementary tool to advocacy and civic education, especially in the fields of environmental and social justice.

iii. Research and policy analysis
Producing research and analysis that strengthen evidence-based civil society action and support concrete policy influence.

iv. Participation, youth and marginalised communities
Engaging young people and marginalised groups through participatory learning, local initiatives and democratic decision-making processes.

Beyond GDP – Degrowth Regional Hub aims to reinforce the watchdog role of civil society, increase public awareness of fundamental rights and EU values, and expand civic participation in shaping environmental and social transformation.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.