THE BLUE ECONOMY

by by Gunter Pauli

The Aurelio Peccei Lectures & Dialogues -
Enquiries on the Challenges of the 21^st Century
85^th Lecture

Wednesday 15 May 2013 at 18:00

THE BLUE ECONOMY :

SHIFTING COMPETITIVENSS BEYOND GLOBALISATION

by Gunter Pauli

Founder and Chairman
Zero Emissions Research and Initiatives (Zeri)

The lecture will present the updates on the Blue Economy, a Report to the Club of Rome at its General Assembly in 2009. It has been translated into 38 languages with more than one million copies sold.

The Blue Economy goes beyond the Green Economy. Time has come to shift towards a competitive business model that allows producers to offer the best at the lowest prices by introducing innovations that generate multiple benefits, not just increased profits. This economic philosophy was first introduced in 1994 by Gunter Pauli when asked by the United Nations to reflect on the business models of the future. Now, substantiated by over 180 concrete cases, it is increasingly clear that it is possible to generate more revenue, while generating more jobs and still compete on the global market.

The key to this dramatic shift is to evolve from a core business based on fierce competition to a portfolio of businesses that generate multiple benefits for business and society. Companies have focused excessively on cutting costs, looking for the cheapest and most flexible place of manufacturing or service delivery. However, the drive towards ever cheaper products has resulted in an increased deprivation of cash in local economies, which have less employment but also less purchasing power, thus leading to less money circulating in the communities. This results in an economic contraction as is being experienced in numerous economies, not the least in Spain and Greece, countries that suffered also from excessive government expenditure.

Prof. Gunter Pauli, Member of the Club of Rome, is author, teacher, activist and entrepreneur.

Venue:

Royal Academy of Belgium, Hertogstraat 1 rue Ducale B-1000 Brussels.
RUBENS room, entrances A + D. Doors open at 17:30. Number of seats is limited.

Access is free, but prior electronic registration compulsory.

This event is organised in collaboration with :

Invitations with electronic registration form will be mailed end of February and published on our website. The lecture will be followed by a debate with the audience and a walking lunch at 13:30 (optional).

The cycle of lectures is named after Aurelio Peccei (1908-1984), co-founder of The Club of Rome in 1968. An initiative of CoR-EU, in partnership with The Club of Rome International Centre and European Support Centre. The lecture is followed by a social get-together and drinks, free for CoR members. Non-members are requested to pay 15 € before 10 May 2013 if they wish to participate in the drinks. COR EU bank account Bank BE69 7370 0382 5378(BIC: KREDBEBB)