LIST OF PANELS

In a century of macro transformations (technology, climate, demography, health), sustainability remains a key concern for societies and policymakers worldwide. Within the realm of public policy, sustainability continues to simultaneously represent a challenge, an opportunity and a favourable policy outcome. The original Brundtland report identifies three main dimensions of sustainability: economic, environmental and social. The former two and their interrelation have been prominently analysed in academic, policy and political discussions especially on weak and strong sustainability paradigms, leaving social sustainability somewhat overlooked so far. Through the 2020 global pandemic, the social dimension of sustainability has yet gained momentum through an external shock to current socio-economic systems and through plausible negative economic repercussions in the pandemic’s aftermath.

Social sustainability, understood as the controlled organisation of social and cultural systems contributing to sustainability at large, aims to ensure societies’ and communities’ wellbeing based on equity, inclusive growth, democracy, citizen engagement and empowerments, quality of life, anti-discrimination and anti–marginalisation. Its main objective is to meet the needs of current generation (intra-generational equity) without jeopardising the prospects for future generations to experience (at least) the equal level of wellbeing (inter-generational equity).

Drawing lessons from the 2020 pandemic, there is a strong need to promote the social dimension of sustainability on academic, policy and political agendas. Against this backdrop, the panel aims to address questions concerning the current stage and position of social sustainability vis-à-vis its environmental and economic counterparts. The questions of interest focus on

·         conditions under which the three dimensions of sustainability reinforce each other;

·         whether environmental and especially economic sustainability are pursued at the expense of social sustainability;

·         the degree to which political narratives treat and propagate social sustainability;

·         the embeddedness of social sustainability into national and supranational political arenas and agendas;

·         the success of different types of welfare models in integrating social sustainability policies in their operations and outcomes;

·         the way in which public opinion can frame the discussion on social sustainability;

·         instruments through which multilevel political systems such as those of the African or European Union approach social sustainability and its position within the conceptual frame for a sustainable future.

Moreover, the panel invites a global comparative perspective and explores policy options that underpin efficient and long-term social sustainability. The questions of interest include:

·         To what extent do the private and public sector cooperate and interact to promote and achieve social sustainability?

·         How do traditional social policy instruments blend with newly (re)emerged issues (e.g. social and human capital; diversity and inclusiveness; social and political participation; economic and social inequalities) in order to exploit opportunities and prospects for social sustainability?

·         Which relevant stakeholders foster social sustainability and what are their specific objectives?

·         What are best practices to evaluate existing social sustainability-related policy measures?

The chairs encourage conceptual, methodological and empirical contributions to the topic of social sustainability. In particular, we welcome analyses that offer novel insights on social sustainability in terms of a) level of governance (local, regional, national, supranational and international ); b) relevant policy areas (e.g. labour market, human capital, social protection, anti-discrimination); c) actors involved in policy-making process (political vs. non-political actors); d) role of supranational and international institutions (e.g. UN, WB, IMF, EU) and their interaction with national governments. Sectorial and/or country case studies including global comparative policy analysis are particularly welcome. Prospective research themes for the panel include, but are not limited to:

·         Conceptual and empirical operationalisation of social sustainability

·         COVID-19 and social sustainability

·         Social sustainability in a globalised world

·         Corporate social sustainability

·         European social model

·         Social investment

·         Inequalities and social sustainability

·         Resilience of contemporary welfare models

·         Environmental sustainability and social outcomes

·         Financial sustainability and social outcomes 

·         Citizen engagement and empowerment