The Beyond Growth Estonia conference is the first major degrowth event to be organized in Estonia, as part of the international series of Beyond Growth conferences. The event takes place at the Nelijärve holiday center in Aegviidu on October 2–3, 2025. The conference is organised by Degrowth Estonia NGO and Biotoopia, in collaboration with partners from TalTech and Tallinn University.

 

Beyond Growth Estonia brings together policymakers, economists, scientists, journalists, members of the civil society, practitioners and other interested parties who care about sustainability and the well-being of people and nature. The conference explores systemic solutions for our society to ensure good quality of life for as many people as possible during the inevitably upcoming post-growth era.

 

Our perpetual venture for economic growth has exceeded the boundaries of natural ecosystems as well as widened the gap of social inequality, which results in increasing polarisation in the society. Degrowth questions the capability of economic growth to ensure a good life for all citizens and calls for alternatives to improve and measure well-being. Our approach sets ecological sustainability, social justice, democracy, and well-being as central values ​​in society.

 

The aim of the conference, mostly held in estonian, is to initiate public discussion about ways to improve Estonia’s adaptive capacity in a changing ecological and political reality. We also aim to raise awareness of alternative practices and policies that contribute to adaptation.

The conference setup is based on the planetary boundaries framework: the economy must serve the society (not the other way around) and the society has to respect the boundaries of the natural environment. In each thematic circle, we will focus on areas in which Estonia needs to make a systemic leap, i.e. where changes are not yet happening at a sufficient speed on the national level.

 

We are addressing the topics through the three definitions of degrowth – decline, emancipation, and destination – in order to better articulate how to reach a sustainable vision of society. The discussions and experience gained over the two days will instill hope in the participants, support visioning and the will to act. Participants are actively involved in thinking and forming their own opinions about the changes we need in Estonia.

 

The international series of Beyond Growth conferences began in 2018 in Brussels in cooperation between MEPs and European NGOs. In addition to Estonia, conferences of the same series will be organised in Spain, Germany, Norway and others in 2025. Each conference is based on a similar framework for degrowth and receives assistance from an international support system.

 

The conference will be preceded by the series of discussion evenings “Elukatsed” (“Life Experiments”). Parallel to the conference, a nation-wide citizen assembly on redefining good life is being organised by the DD Center for Democracy. In spring 2026, a policy lab will take place for implementing alternative wellbeing indexes in Estonia.