Strategies for Sustainable and Socially Inclusive Economic Growth

Participants at the 2012 Trilogue Salzburg agreed that finding concrete strategies for achieving economic growth that is sustainable and socially inclusive is the main challenge facing policymakers, the business community and civil society. They also agreed that the current economic system cannot be sustained over the long term, since it is inequitable, chronically unstable and detrimental to the environment. Participants therefore called for a switch from a growth-centered mindset to one focusing  first and foremost on development that combats poverty, promotes education and ensures access to clean energy. Moreover, many at the gathering believe multilateral organizations have increasingly shown themselves to be ill suited as platforms for achieving international consensus. The participants therefore also called for the creation of a "coalition of the willing" – governments, businesses and institutions from civil society – that can lead the way, bringing their vision and experience to bear on a political level.