‘Degrowth: Bridging Green and Just in Central and Eastern Europe’ conference

From 16–19 June 2026, Aretina participated in the conference ‘Degrowth: Bridging Green and Just in Central and Eastern Europe’, organised by Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland. The conference allowed for the crosspolination of diverse actors, from researchers and trade union representatives, to civil society organisations, artists, activists, practitioners, and policymakers to exchange ideas and strengthen collaboration around degrowth in Central and Eastern Europe.

The programme explored a wide range of topics, including perspectives on the region’s unique environmental history, degrowth perspectives from Ukraine in times of war, gender, alternative proteins and imaginary, while highlighting the region’s distinctive contributions to socioecological transformation through traditions of care, solidarity, resilience, and self-provisioning. The discussions reinforced the importance of recognising Central and Eastern Europe as a valuable source of knowledge and innovation for degrowth.

During the conference, Aretina presented ‘Legal Embeddings of Degrowth: Lessons from the Czech Republic’, introducing the preliminary DELaw legal framework and some initial applications to the Czech legal system, one of the project’s case studies. The presentation explored the role that law can play in enabling a degrowth society and sparked a constructive discussion that provided valuable feedback for further refining both the framework and its empirical application.