Report Summer Academy for Pluralist Economics

PLUSA 2024 - Throwback

25 August - 01 September 2024 in Berlin

Bridging perspectives, building solutions - Overcome differences for EU climate action!

This was the guiding motto under which our Pluralist Summer Academy took place this year from August 25 to September 1. This time, it featured a new format and was held in Berlin. A group of eighteen international participants engaged with the political and economic challenges of a socio-ecological transformation in our newly developed Pluralist simulation game, „Readyfor55: Climate Policy on the Way to Climate Neutrality.“

The simulation took place against the backdrop of growing threats posed by human-induced climate change. In recent years, extreme weather events have increased worldwide, and the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report warns of global warming of 1.5 to 2°C within this century if emissions are not drastically reduced. The European Union has therefore set a goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2050, with an interim target of reducing emissions by 55% compared to 1990 levels by 2030. Pluraland, the fictional country in the simulation game, faces the same challenge as an EU member state, requiring profound structural changes to meet these targets.

During the negotiations, participants took on the roles of various interest groups, including the government, businesses, trade unions, as well as feminist, ecological, and socially just NGOs. The positions they developed were based on different economic schools of thought, leading to intense discussions. Perspectives from neoclassical, post-Keynesian, feminist, ecological, and Marxist economics shaped the negotiations. Each school of thought offered different approaches to designing climate policy. This diversity provided participants with a deeper understanding of economic policy debates and encouraged critical thinking. The insights gained helped to conduct well-founded negotiations within the simulation. The goal was to develop a balanced decarbonization package that took all stakeholders’ interests into account. The negotiations required a great deal of diplomacy from participants and led to exciting negotiation outcomes and compromises.

Sunday, August 25

Welcome, Getting to Know Each Other, Movie Night, and Discussion

The first day began with a warm welcome and an introduction round, allowing participants to get to know each other. From the very beginning, the atmosphere was characterized by openness and motivation. As a foundation for the discussions and learning success of the coming week, the group created a Culture Agreement, which captured the participants’ expectations regarding their collaborative working approach. Additionally, we conducted a workshop on different learning styles, enabling participants to shape the seminar week according to their individual needs.

In the evening, a joint movie night was on the agenda, focusing on current climate issues. This was followed by a lively discussion in which the topics presented in the film were explored in greater depth, and participants shared their personal impressions and opinions.

Monday, August 26

Media Training

The second day was dedicated to an intensive media training session led by Kristin Langen from the Climate Journalism Network. The goal of the training was to teach participants how to create press releases that are engaging for the media and likely to be published.

After an explanation of when and under what circumstances a press release is useful, participants engaged in interactive exercises to craft compelling and informative headlines and develop a clear and persuasive structure for their press releases.

Additionally, the workshop leader conducted an interview training session, where participants practiced techniques for effective presentation and prepared for their roles as both interviewers and interviewees.

Tuesday, August 27

Crisis Summit

On the third day, the first negotiation round took place: At the crisis summit, the interest groups negotiated the design of the investment strategy. Participants developed their positions based on their respective economic schools of thought and, drawing on the media training, prepared position papers on financing decarbonization and social security to address the impacts of structural change.

With great conviction, participants embraced their roles and debated a government-proposed bill.

Wednesday, August 28

Group Work, Netzwerk-Q&A, Lecture on Trade Union Perspectives on Energy Policy

On Wednesday, participants worked within their interest groups to reflect on the previous crisis summit and prepare for the upcoming future summit. To support this, they received additional academic materials related to their respective economic schools of thought, which helped them refine their positions and policy proposals. The groups were also encouraged to conduct preliminary negotiations with one another—an assignment they tackled with great enthusiasm.

In the afternoon, a Q&A session was held about the Pluralist Economics Network—the organizer of the Summer Academy—where participants gained deeper insights into the theoretical and practical aspects of ecological and social economics. They were also encouraged to stay engaged with the network beyond the Summer Academy.

In the evening, Felix Fleckenstein, representing the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB), gave a lecture on the practical challenges of trade union work, with a particular focus on German and European energy policy. This talk provided valuable insights that shaped the roles of the LabourAssembly, as well as PluraBusiness and the government.

Thursday, August 29

Visit to the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action and Group Work

On Thursday morning, participants visited the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK). This visit allowed them to gain first-hand insights into the real-world conditions and challenges of climate policy while developing a deeper understanding of governmental priorities and political processes.

During a lecture, they received detailed knowledge about the BMWK’s areas of responsibility, its working methods, and the synergies and tensions between climate and economic policy. In the subsequent Q&A session, participants posed numerous constructive and critical questions, gaining valuable insights into career opportunities within the ministry.

The afternoon was dedicated to final preparations for the upcoming Future Conference.

Friday, August 30

Future Conference and Alumni-Workshop

The second negotiation day was marked by the Future Conference. By this point, participants were deeply immersed in the topic—coalitions were formed, intrigues were plotted, and even a government resignation took place. Despite heated debates, the assembly ultimately passed a resolution that was meant to set a strategic direction for Pluraland’s economy.

On Friday evening, the Alumni Workshop took place. In this session, participants explored various ways to engage in climate policy and social transformations. Alumni and network members shared their concrete experiences from working in civil society organizations, academia, and party politics. They spoke about their motivations for choosing these career paths, the challenges they face in their daily work, and what personality types might be best suited for these roles.

The workshop then transitioned into small-group discussions, where participants exchanged ideas about different forms of activism and reflected on how they might take action themselves.

Saturday, August 31

Feedback, City Tour, and Closing Evening

After the simulation game concluded, a reflection session took place on Saturday morning. Through various interactive methods, participants deepened their understanding of what they had learned. Together, they created a summary of the different economic schools of thought, their interconnections, and their positions in the climate policy debate.

Following this, a feedback round was held to evaluate the Summer Academy as a whole. The insights gathered will help tailor future editions even better to the participants’ needs and expectations.

On Saturday afternoon, participants joined a decolonial city tour focusing on Black Queer Feminism in Berlin. This tour provided an opportunity to engage with often-overlooked aspects of the city’s history and explore contemporary issues within the feminist movement in Berlin.

For the closing evening, and to further encourage networking opportunities, we invited all Berlin-based members and alumni of the Pluralist Economics Network to an informal gathering at a local bar.

The Participants

A central goal of the Summer Academy was to provide young people with a space for mutual inspiration and fruitful exchange. The event allowed participants to build valuable connections and benefit from working in an international group composed of individuals with very diverse backgrounds. Most participants came from Germany, but the group was further enriched by participants from Spain, Turkey, and India, who contributed their valuable perspectives on economic and climate policy challenges.

Furthermore, the participants represented a broad range of academic fields. While the majority studied economics, there were also aspiring natural scientists and engineers present, whose expertise greatly enriched the discussions.

Fazit und Ausblick

The „Readyfor55“ simulation in Berlin was an outstanding success. It provided participants with comprehensive insights into climate policy and the challenges of decarbonization. The goal of the week was to offer guidance and direction to emerging professionals and young talents on how to pursue their enthusiasm for the ongoing transformations.

Through hands-on workshops, lectures, and simulations, participants gained valuable knowledge and experiences, while expanding their skills in addressing complex political and economic issues. They learned how to advocate for their positions in front of other interest groups and negotiate compromises.

Furthermore, the event helped participants clarify their potential future engagements in careers with job sectors, think tanks, government organizations, NGOs, or political parties and shape their career plans accordingly.

In summary, the participants had the opportunity to network, develop their economic policy ideas, and create concrete proposals for achieving climate goals.