NELA Next Economy Lab

The Next Economy Lab (NELA) is an innovative initiative dedicated to the development and realization of concepts for a socially just, climate-positive, and cooperative economy. NELA works closely with businesses, politics, and civil society to create pioneering impulses for a future-proof economy.

The main mission of NELA is to design an economic order that is both socially just and ecologically sustainable. This is achieved through the integration of scientific findings and participatory methods to create a bridge between theory and practice. NELA advocates for the promotion of societal well-being independent of economic growth and emphasizes the importance of social justice, ecological sustainability, and cooperative forms of economy.

• Educational Work: NELA creates transformative learning spaces that enable participants to understand current social and ecological challenges and discuss solutions together. Interactive and participatory methods are at the forefront[2].
• Projects: Notable projects include "Education for Sustainable Unionists 2030", "Just Transition in the European Car Industry", and "Road to Climate-Neutral School". These projects focus on topics such as sustainable union policy, social justice in the transport transition, and supporting young people as agents of change[2][3].
• Consulting and Organizational Development: NELA supports companies in combining sustainability strategies and organizational development to promote future-proof businesses. This includes creating a productive team culture, developing personal and digital skills, and formulating a purpose that unites the organization and provides meaning[5].

• Doughnut Economy: NELA utilizes the concept of the Doughnut Economy to support municipal sustainability strategies through socially inclusive participation methods. This model integrates social, ecological, and economic areas and promotes visualization and collaboration in shaping sustainability goals[3][4].
• Municipal Collaboration: The project "Strengthening Municipal Collaboration" aims to expand the methods of the Doughnut model with additional approaches to enhance the effectiveness of municipal sustainability actors. This is done through multi-stakeholder workshops and the continuous refinement of methods through feedback from practitioners[4].
• Community-Supported Economy: NELA promotes the concept of community-supported economy, where customers come together as a community to cover the operating costs of businesses in exchange for products or services. This increases cost transparency, distributes entrepreneurial risk, and shortens transport routes[4].

NELA is active in various educational areas, including schools, vocational education, extracurricular education, and further training, as well as the training of teachers, educators, and multipliers. The thematic focuses include globalization, climate, Local Agenda 21, sustainable cities and communities, sustainable consumption and production, and the reduction of global inequalities[2].

With its comprehensive work and innovative approaches, the Next Economy Lab makes a significant contribution to shaping a future-proof and sustainable economy that is both socially just and ecologically responsible.

• 1 - https://nexteconomylab.de
• 2 - https://www.unesco.de/bildung/bne-akteure/nela-next-economy-lab-0
• 3 - https://www.alv.foundation/partnerinnen/nela
• 4 - https://nexteconomylab.de/en
• 5 - https://www.bonn.de/themen-entdecken/wirtschaft-wissenschaft/nela.nexteconomylab_217.php