SPES - Sustainability Performances, Evidence & Scenarios

#Europe has the capability, knowledge and #societalsupport necessary to lead a fair, sustainable and resilient transition. Europe requires a
cohesive, forward-looking #transitionstrategy
SPES #ImpactHandbook offers a #policypathway toward that future. Read here: shorturl.at/Pj2XX

@ec.europa.eu

The stories behind indicators with Pedro Conceição

Together with Pedro Conceição, Director of the #HumanDevelopment Report Office - @undp.org we try to understand how #indicators can become useful tools to design #policies that efficiently foster #SustainableHumanDevelopment.
This episode of #Directions is here ⤵️

open.spotify.com/episode/7JbL...

"When you fall from a a plane you don't need an altimeter but a parachute. We have to change the way we consume, we produce, in other words we need to go #BeyondGrowth."
Keynote by @olivierdeschutter.bsky.social during joint FinalConf of the Horizon projects ToBe & SPES.
Live: shorturl.at/Z92M1

“In the last 5 years #EUinstitutions missed the opportunity to go #beyondGDP. This is a political problem, but the window of opportunity is still open and this conference is about it"
Enrico Giovannini (ASViS) during his keynote at joint final conf. of #Horizonprojects ToBe and SPES in #Brussels

Directions: Navigating Beyond-GDP Futures

#Directions is a space for ideas, debate, and new paths towards a more just and #sustainableworld. Directions explores the challenges facing our economic and social systems and dives into new perspectives that put people, the planet, and dignity back at the centre.
open.spotify.com/episode/4rIG...

Join the discussion on “ #Stakeholderengagement and community-based approaches in #energytransition processes and initiatives” at the Italian Pavilion for the @cop30brazil.bsky.social on Nov. 13th at 9.30am (BRT). All info here ⤵️

This final conference synthesises and showcases selected research outputs of two research projects, fostering #dialogue between #policymakers, #academia and #stakeholders.
Register here to participate: ec.europa.eu/eusurvey/run...

DM for more info and soon updates on final conference concept note!

STD for Jan.14th & 15th 2026!
All invited to projects SPES & ToBe Research joint Final Conference in Bruxelles.
Over the past three years, the projects have generated #novelframeworks, #tools, and evidence, bridging the gap between #productivity, #environmentalsustainability, and #socialfairness.

In a couple years time @ec.europa.eu priorities shifted from going #BeyondGrowth towards a new concept of Competitiveness.
To keep focus and efforts on #sustainabletransitions we need:
1. Integrated research
2. Integrated policies
3. Integrated narrative
Read more here: tinyurl.com/4hvcnfbt

Discussion on the #Manifesto for a #NewEconomy on June 5th 2025 in Florence! SPES is co-organising the opening plenary session of the #RenaissanceinEconomics - 2° Intl conference June 5th & 6th University of Florence.
Register here: tinyurl.com/5dnyyu3c
@oecd-ocde.bsky.social @ec.europa.eu

“Towards a consensus on measuring transition performances within a #SustainableHumanDevelopment paradigm” explores how to measure the #progress of societies transitioning towards a sust. #wellbeing. Read here: tinyurl.com/4hvcnfbt
@lelkes.bsky.social @lseblogs.bsky.social @univbordeaux.bsky.social

EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism: pros, cons and policy implications Analysis of the functioning of EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, its pros and cons, and the current state of the proposed revisions

SPES Researchers from the @eui-eu.bsky.social and @nova-oslomet.bsky.social analyse the functioning of #CBAM focusing on
What #carbonleakage really means and how it threatens EU #climategoals
Key economic and #socialimpact within the EU
How CBAM could reshape global #carbonpricing strategies
More⤵️

SEN-HARP model to analyse trade-offs of net-zero carbon transition | SPES SEN-HARP model explores scenarios in which sustainability goals interacts with the dynamics of inequality and political acceptability

The SPES Working Paper 9.1 by Researchers from the @univbordeaux.bsky.social introduces the very innovative SEN-HARP model as a useful tool for analysing more comprehensively the trade-offs between effectiveness, fairness and political feasibility brought by the net-zero carbon transition ⤵️

Transition to #netzerocarbon is not merely technical but a complex socio-political endeavour with significant trade-offs involving #inequality #wellbeing #sustainability, and political acceptability. The socio-political aspects of climate change remain largely under-explored by assessment models. ⤵️

8 EU-funded projects' leaders sent a letter to EC President, urging a competitiveness agenda for sustainable and inclusive wellbeing  - MERGE A leadership coalition of 8 EU-funded research projects sent a formal letter to the President of the EC, urging revisions of the competitiveness agenda

The future of Europe is standing on sustainable and inclusive wellbeing! The #CompetitivenessCompass does not fully integrate social and ecological #wellbeing into its #policyframework.
Read the letter signed by 8 EUfunded research projects addressed to @vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu and @ec.europa.eu

06. Translating research and science in the public discourse to facilitate civic engagement
Forge strong alliance between #researchinstitutions and both new and traditional #media. An essential partnership to stimulate the explore research findings that are more usable and relevant to the public.

05. Enhancing National Statistical Offices to produce evidence on Sustainable Human Development
#OfficialStatistics stimulate informed discourse and enrich public debate. It is essential to integrate this information into the political process to weigh the trade-offs of different #policyoptions.

04. Placing #geostatistics at the intersection of economic, social and environmental domains
The geostatistical approach promotes comparisons and the analysis of trends that can't be done by aggregate data. #Spatialdisaggregation is fund. dimension for measuring development equity and inclusiveness

03. Refining simpler #compositeindicators for better policy insights
Carefully evaluate whether simpler composite indicators can be adopted instead of more complex ones. Complement changes in CI with comprehensive
analysis to make public aware of what mechanisms drive #SHD.

02. Strengthening a global collaboration to go beyond
GDP
Overcoming the addiction to GDP requires a collective commitment to broader #wellbeing and #sustainability. A shared theoretical framework on #SustainableHumanDevelopment as a global reference point can facilitate dialogue and mutual learning

Policy Recommendation to redefine progress to go #beyondGDP in Europe: tinyurl.com/hvsx56vx

01. Harnessing science-policy interface to fight
misinformation
Better use of science enhances public trust in governments, elucidate policy choices, fight misinformation improve support for adopted policies

Recommendations for policy and practice to build a consensus on new measurement frameworks | SPES Building a consensus on broader frameworks goes beyond agreeing on measurement issues: it calls for envisioning the new world we aspire to.

Overcoming the addiction to #GDP requires a collective commitment to broader well-being and #sustainability!
#Recommendations to influence policy-making to facilitate the cooperation among various actors to achieve #consensus in measuring #development, #societalprogress and human #wellbeing ⤵️

Towards a consensus on a measurement framework | SPES A coherent measurement framework is essential to guide sustainability transition effectively, SPES evaluates existing indicators...

“Living well within planetary boundaries”: #SustainableHumanDevelopment paradigm offers an integrated approach that balances economic, social, and ecological dimensions. A coherent #measurementframework is essential to guide societies transitioning towards a more sustainable #wellbeing. ⤵️

The analysis also reveals that topics related to economic and corporate issues are prominent, suggesting that #sustainability is often viewed through an organisational lens. Emerging topics like #Fashion and declining ones like #Agriculture further reflect the dynamic nature of users attention.

SPES W.Paper 4.1 reveals a steady increase in #publicinterest towards #sustainability since 2018, with regional disparities. WestEU countries show higher levels of engagement. Related topics concern themes like #Energy, #SustainableDevelopment, and #Environment.
Read it here: tinyurl.com/5n8yzju3

Analysing public attention to sustainability with Google Trends data | SPES Policymakers can benefit from understanding people attention towards sustainability and influence efforts to combat climate change.

SPES partners from UvAmsterdam suggest in their paper “Public Attention Towards Sustainability in the EU: An Exploration of Google Trends Data” an alternative method for conducting #largescaleanalysis of public attention using #GoogleTrends data ⤵️ www.sustainabilityperformances.eu/public-atten...

As the European Union grapples with interlinked crises, sustainability offers a framework for balancing #economicstability, #socialequity, #environmentalresilience. Policymakersin their effort to design effective regulations, can benefit from understanding people attention towards #sustainability.

4. The importance of a change in the #economicmodel, which to date is focused on #economicgrowth to the detriment of other dimensions
5. The importance of a new #welfaremodel, with eco-social policies that jointly consider environmental and social issues.

1. Need for a clear and shared definition of ‘Just Transition’ at European and national level
2. Lack of a unified and strategic vision, fundamental for a fair and sustainable national energy policy.
3. Central role that civil society must assume in #transitionprocesses

‘The Social Dimension of the #EnergyTransition: Scenarios, Challenges and Policies for a Just Transition in Italy’ a #workshop with ASviS dedicated to critical and proactive discussion on the theme of a #justtransition in #Italy.
Key #discussionpoints included ⤵️