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{{Short description|Political and economic think tank}}
{{sources}}
{{Primary sources|date=December 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021|cs1-dates=y}}
{{Infobox organization
| name = The Club of Rome
| logo = Club of Rome Logo.svg
| type =]<br>]
| founded = 1968 by ] and ]<br>Co-Presidents: ] and ]
| location = ], ], Switzerland
| fields = ], ], ] challenges
| homepage = {{URL|clubofrome.org|ClubOfRome.org}}
}}


The '''Club of Rome''' is a nonprofit, informal organization of intellectuals and business leaders whose goal is a critical discussion of pressing ]. The Club of Rome was founded in 1968 at ] in ], Italy. It consists{{clarify|reason=the current text is written the in present tense using an RS from the past. Please insert template "as of" to say when this was true|date=May 2024}} of one hundred full members selected from current and former heads of state and government, UN administrators, high-level politicians and government officials, diplomats, scientists, economists, and business leaders from around the globe.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.green-agenda.com/globalrevolution.html |title=The First Global Revolution |publisher=The Green Agenda |date=19 November 2005 |access-date=6 December 2012}}</ref> It stimulated considerable public attention in 1972 with the first report to the Club of Rome, '']''. Since 1 July 2008, the organization has been based in ], Switzerland.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Club of Rome hat eine neue Heimat gefunden |language=de |work=Neue Zürcher Zeitung |url=https://www.nzz.ch/club_of_rome_winterthur-ld.479525?reduced=true |access-date=2023-02-03}}</ref>
The '''Club of Rome''' is a global ] that deals with a variety of international political issues.


== History ==
== The foundation of the Club of Rome ==


=== Origins ===
It was founded in April ] by ], an Italian scholar and ], and ], a Scottish ]. It raised considerable public attention with its report '']'', which has sold 30 million copies in more than 30 translations, making it the best selling environmental book in world history. Published in ], it predicted that ] could not continue indefinitely because of the limited availability of natural resources, particularly ]. The ] increased public concern about this problem.
In 1965, the Italian industrialist ] gave a speech about the dramatic scientific and technological changes happening in the world. The speech was noticed by ], a British scientist who had advised the British government, and who was currently serving as Director-General for Scientific Affairs at the ].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Suter |first=Keith |date=1999 |title=Fair Warning?: The Club of Rome Revisited |url=https://www.abc.net.au/science/slab/rome/ |access-date=2023-07-18 |website=www.abc.net.au}}</ref> King arranged a meeting with Peccei. The pair shared a lack of confidence that the problems faced by the world could be solved by development and technological progress.{{fact|date=June 2024}}


In April 1968, Peccei and King convened a small international group of people from the fields of academia, civil society, diplomacy, and industry met at ] in ]. The background paper to set the tone of the meeting was entitled "A tentative framework for initiating system wide planning of world scope", by Austrian OECD consultant ]. However, the meeting was described as a "monumental flop", with discussions becoming bogged down in technical and semantic debates.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Schmelzer |first=Matthias |date=2017 |title='Born in the corridors of the OECD': the forgotten origins of the Club of Rome, transnational networks, and the 1970s in global history |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-global-history/article/abs/born-in-the-corridors-of-the-oecd-the-forgotten-origins-of-the-club-of-rome-transnational-networks-and-the-1970s-in-global-history/0441CA6588F99F0825D8FF5F45401FC0 |journal=Journal of Global History |language=en |volume=12 |issue=1 |pages=26–48 |doi=10.1017/S1740022816000322 |s2cid=164497528 |issn=1740-0228}}</ref>
At that time, the Club of Rome had an informal "inner group" of six, but no corporate existence. The inner group consisted of:

* ];
After the meeting, Peccei, King, Jantsch, and ] decided to form the Club of Rome, named for the city of their meeting.<ref>{{cite web |title=History: 1968 |url=https://www.clubofrome.org/about-us/history/ |website=Club of Rome |access-date=29 November 2017}}</ref>
* ];

* ], Director of the Batelle Institute in ];
=== First steps ===
* ] (]), former Secretary General of the ];
Central to the formation of the club was Peccei's concept of the ''problematic''. It was his opinion that viewing the problems of humankind—environmental deterioration, poverty, endemic ill-health, urban blight, criminality—individually, in isolation or as "problems capable of being solved in their own terms", was doomed to failure. All are interrelated. "It is this generalized meta-problem (or ] of problems) which we have called and shall continue to call the 'problematic' that inheres in our situation."<ref name="Predicament">{{cite web |url=http://sunsite.utk.edu/FINS/loversofdemocracy/Predicament.PTI.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203125912/http://sunsite.utk.edu/FINS/loversofdemocracy/Predicament.PTI.pdf |archive-date=3 February 2014 |date=1970 |title=The Predicament of Mankind |access-date=13 May 2016}}</ref>{{rp|pages=12–13}}
* ], Ministry of Finance in ];

* ], author of "Technological Forecasting".
In October 1968, the OECD held a symposium in ], Italy, in collaboration with the ], at which several new members joined the Club. The symposium focused on the dangers of exponential growth—which by its nature cannot continue forever—and ended with participants signing "The Bellagio Declaration on Planning", which emphasized the need to overcome global problems through coordination.<ref name=":0" />

For a brief period, the Club's ideas held sway within the OECD, thanks to King's efforts in promoting the group's work. When Secretary General ] formed a group of ten science and economic experts in 1969 to study problems for modern societies, four of the ten were members of the Club of Rome.<ref name=":0" />

In 1970, Peccei's vision was laid out in a document written by ], ], and ]. Entitled, ''The Predicament of Mankind; Quest for Structured Responses to Growing Worldwide Complexities and Uncertainties: A PROPOSAL''.<ref name="Predicament"/> The document would serve as the roadmap for the '']'' project.{{fact|date=June 2024}}

=== ''The Limits to Growth'' ===
The Club of Rome stimulated considerable public attention with the first report to the club, '']''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.clubofrome.org/docs/confs/meadows_abstract_21_08_04.pdf |title=30-Year Update of Limits to Growth finds global society in "Overshoot", Foresees social, economic, and environmental decline |website=Club of Rome |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517054744/http://www.clubofrome.org/docs/confs/meadows_abstract_21_08_04.pdf |archive-date=17 May 2008 |access-date=30 September 2016 |author-last=Meadows |author-first=Dennis |url-status=dead}}</ref> Published in 1972, its computer simulations suggested that growth of production and consumption could not continue indefinitely because of either ] or unmanageable levels of ]. The ] increased public concern about this problem. The report went on to sell 30 million copies in more than 30 languages, making it the best-selling environmental book in history.<ref name="Simmons-2000">{{cite web |author-last=Simmons |author-first=Matthew R. |title=Revisiting The Limits to Growth: Could the Club of Rome Have Been Correct After All? |url=http://www.mudcitypress.com/PDF/clubofrome.pdf |website=Mud City Press |access-date=29 November 2017 |date=October 2000}}</ref>

Although the Club of Rome had enjoyed some influence at the OECD, their questioning of the value of growth "deepened the internal fractures within the OECD and provoked hostile reactions, leading to a revitalization of the strong pro-growth position." A 1973 booklet on the OECD's approach to environmental issues stated that the role of governments in "an acceptable human environment must now be developed in the framework of policies for economic growth". The OECD had given up on the Club of Rome, and set its course on a trajectory of unfettered growth.<ref name=":0" />

=== 1974–present ===
Even before ''The Limits to Growth'' was published, ] and ] of ] had begun work on a far more elaborate model (it distinguished ten world regions and involved 200,000 equations compared with 1,000 in the Meadows model). The research had the full support of the club and its final publication, ''Mankind at the Turning Point'', was accepted as the official "second report" to the Club of Rome in 1974.<ref>{{cite book |author-last1=Mesarovic |author-first1=Mihajlo |author-last2=Pestel |author-first2=Eduard |title=Mankind at the Turning Point |date=1975 |publisher=Hutchinson |isbn=0-09-123471-9}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |author-last=Mihram |author-first=Arthur |title=Mankind at the Turning Point by Mihajlo Mesarovic and Eduard Pestel |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/3116026 |access-date=13 August 2019 |journal=IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics |date=January 1977 |pages=73–74 |location=Haverford, PA |doi=10.1109/TSMC.1977.4309596 |s2cid=1032294}}</ref> In addition to providing a more refined regional breakdown, Pestel and Mesarovic had succeeded in integrating social as well as technical data. The second report revised the scenarios of the original ''Limits to Growth'' and gave a more optimistic prognosis for the future of the environment, noting that many of the factors involved were within human control and therefore that environmental and economic catastrophe were preventable or avoidable.

In 1991, the club published '']''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.scribd.com/doc/2297152/Alexander-King-Bertrand-Schneider-The-First-Global-Revolution-Club-of-Rome-1993-Edition |title=The First Global Revolution (Club of Rome) 1993 Edition |publisher=Scribd |date=17 March 2008 |access-date=6 December 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121026053527/http://www.scribd.com/doc/2297152/Alexander-King-Bertrand-Schneider-The-First-Global-Revolution-Club-of-Rome-1993-Edition |archive-date=26 October 2012}}</ref> It analyses the problems of humanity, calling these collectively or in essence the "problematique". It notes that, historically, social or political unity has commonly been motivated by enemies in common:{{fact|date=June 2024}}

{{poem quote|The need for enemies seems to be a common historical factor. Some states have striven to overcome domestic failure and internal contradictions by blaming external enemies. The ploy of finding a scapegoat is as old as mankind itself—when things become too difficult at home, divert attention to adventure abroad. Bring the divided nation together to face an outside enemy, either a real one, or else one invented for the purpose. With the disappearance of the traditional enemy, the temptation is to use religious or ethnic minorities as scapegoats, especially those whose differences from the majority are disturbing.<ref name="King_1993">{{cite book |author-first1=Alexander |author-last1=King |author-link1=Alexander King (scientist) |author-first2=Bertrand |author-last2=Schneider |title=The First Global Revolution |publisher=] |date=1993 |pages=70, 115}}</ref>{{rp|page=70}}

...Every state has been so used to classifying its neighbours as friend or foe, that the sudden absence of traditional adversaries has left governments and public opinion with a great void to fill. New enemies have to be identified, new strategies imagined, and new weapons devised.<ref name="King_1993"/>{{rp|page=70}}

In searching for a common enemy against whom we can unite, we came up with the idea that pollution, the threat of global warming, water shortages, famine and the like, would fit the bill. In their totality and their interactions these phenomena do constitute a common threat which must be confronted by everyone together. But in designating these dangers as the enemy, we fall into the trap, which we have already warned readers about, namely mistaking symptoms for causes. All these dangers are caused by human intervention in natural processes, and it is only through changed attitudes and behaviour that they can be overcome. The real enemy then is humanity itself.<ref name="King_1993"/>{{rp|page=115}}}}

In 2001, the Club of Rome established a ], called ''tt30'', consisting of about 30 men and women, ages 25–35. It aimed to identify problems in the world and suggest approaches to addressing them, from the perspective of youth.{{citation needed|date=December 2016}}

In 2008, the club moved its headquarters from ] to Winterthur in Switzerland.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Club of Rome hat eine neue Heimat gefunden |language=de |work=Neue Zürcher Zeitung |url=https://www.nzz.ch/club_of_rome_winterthur-ld.479525?reduced=true |access-date=2023-02-03}}</ref>

In 2018, the Club of Rome appointed its first female co-presidents.{{cn|date=May 2024}} The same year, co-presidents Ernst Ulrich von Weizsäcker and Anders Wijkman collaborated with over 30 members to publish "Come On! Capitalism, Short-termism, Population and the Destruction of the Planet".{{cn|date=May 2024}} This publication advocated for profound changes in the interactions between governments, businesses, financial systems, innovators, and families to foster sustainable planetary stewardship.{{cn|date=May 2024}}

Four years later, in 2022, the Club of Rome introduced "Earth for All: A Survival Guide for Humanity", released fifty years after the pioneering "Limits to Growth".{{cn|date=May 2024}} This new publication, unveiled at events including the closing of the New York Stock Exchange, stems from the Earth4All initiative—a collaborative effort among institutions such as the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and the Stockholm Resilience Centre.{{cn|date=May 2024}}


== Organization == == Organization ==
According to its website, the Club of Rome is composed of "scientists, economists, businessmen, international high civil servants, heads of state and former heads of state from all five continents who are convinced that the future of humankind is not determined once and for all and that each human being can contribute to the improvement of our societies".{{fact|date=June 2024}}


The Club of Rome is a membership organization and has different membership categories.<ref>{{cite web |title=Membership |url=https://www.clubofrome.org/membership/ |website=Club of Rome |access-date=29 November 2017}}</ref> Full members engage in the research activities, projects, and contribute to decision-making processes during the club's annual general assembly. Of the full members, 12 are elected to form the executive committee, which sets the general direction and the agenda.<ref>{{cite web |title=Executive Committee |url=https://www.clubofrome.org/members-groups/executive-committee/ |website=Club of Rome |access-date=29 November 2017}}</ref> Of the executive committee, two are elected as co-presidents. The secretary-general is appointed by the executive committee and is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the club. Aside from full members there are associate members, who participate in research and projects, but have no vote in the general assembly.<ref>{{cite web |title=Associate Members |url=https://www.clubofrome.org/members-groups/associate-members/ |website=Club of Rome |access-date=29 November 2017}}</ref> The club has a satellite office in ].<ref>{{Cite web |title=History |url=https://www.clubofrome.org/history/ |access-date=2023-02-03 |website=Club of Rome |language=en-GB}}</ref>
According to its website, it is composed of ''"scientists, economists, businessmen, international high civil servants, heads of state and former heads of state from all five continents who are convinced that the future of humankind is not determined once and for all and that each human being can contribute to the improvement of our societies."''


The current President is Prince ] of ]. Other active members include: Benjamin Bassin, ], Juan Luis Cebrian, Orio Giarini, Talal Halman, ], ], ], ], Kamal Hossain, Esko Kalimo, ], Martin Lees, ], Maria Ramirez Ribes, Victor A. Sadovnichy, ], ], Majid Tehranian, ], ], and ]. The club also has honorary members. Notable honorary members include ], ], ], ], King ], ], and ].<ref>{{cite web |title=Honorary Members |url=https://www.clubofrome.org/members-groups/honorary-members/ |website=Club of Rome |access-date=29 November 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201034743/http://www.clubofrome.org/members-groups/honorary-members/ |archive-date=1 December 2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref>


The annual general assembly of 2016 took place in Berlin on 10–11 November. Among the guest speakers were former German President ], German Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development ], as well as Nobel Laureate ].{{fact|date=June 2024}}
The Annual Meeting of 2005 took place in ], at ]. It was held for the first time with members of the young think tank tt30.


==National associations==
==Offshoots==
The club has national associations in 35 countries and territories.<ref>{{cite web |title=National Associations |url=https://www.clubofrome.org/about-us/national-associations/ |website=Club of Rome |access-date=29 November 2017}}</ref> The mission of the national associations is to spread the ideas and vision in their respective countries, to offer solutions and to lobby for a more sustainable and just economy in their nations, and to support the international secretariat of the club with the organization of events, such as the annual general assembly.<ref>{{cite web |title=Annual Conference 2016 |url=https://www.clubofrome.org/event/annual-conference-2016/ |website=The Club of Rome |access-date=26 January 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180126185346/https://www.clubofrome.org/event/annual-conference-2016/ |archive-date=26 January 2018 |url-status=dead}}</ref>


==Current activities==
In 2001 the Club of Rome created the ], a youth think tank for people around the age of 30. Its Internet site is .
As of 2023, there have been 54 reports to the club.<ref>{{cite web |title=Reports |url=https://www.clubofrome.org/activities/reports/ |website=Club of Rome |access-date=5 December 2017}}</ref> These are internally reviewed studies commissioned by the executive committee, or suggested by a member or group of members, or by outside individuals and institutions. The most recent reports, both published in 2022, are "Earth for All – A Survival Guide for Humanity"<ref>{{cite web |title=Earth for all |url=https://www.clubofrome.org/publication/earth4all-book/ |website=Club of Rome |access-date=10 June 2024}}</ref> and "Limits and Beyond: 50 Years on from The Limits to Growth, What Did We Learn and What’s Next?".<ref>{{cite web |title=Limits and Beyond |url= https://www.clubofrome.org/limits-to-growth/limits-and-beyond/|website=Club of Rome |access-date=10 June 2024}}</ref>


On 14 March 2019, the Club of Rome issued an official statement in support of ] and the ], urging governments across the world to respond to this call for action and cut global carbon emissions.<ref>{{cite web |title=Statement in support of global student climate protests |author-last1=Alao |author-first1=Sadikou Ayo |author-link1=:de:Sadikou Ayo Alao |author-last2=Alvarez-Pereira |author-first2=Carlos |author-last3=Andersen |author-first3=Lene Rachel |author-link3=Lene Rachel Andersen |author-last4=AtKisson |author-first4=Alan |author-last5=Bamela Engo-Tjega |author-first5=Ruth |author-last6=Bardi |author-first6=Ugo |author-link6=Ugo Bardi |author-last7=Bastioli |author-first7=Catia |author-link7=:it:Catia Bastioli |author-last8=Bateson |author-first8=Nora |author-last9=Benedikter |author-first9=Roland |author-link9=:de:Roland Benedikter |author-last10=Berg |author-first10=Christian |author-link10=:de:Christian Berg (Ingenieur) |author-last11=Bindé |author-first11=Jérôme |author-link11=:nl:Jérôme Bindé |author-last12=Björkman |author-first12=Tomas |author-link12=Tomas Björkman |author-last13=Blom |author-first13=Peter |author-link13=:nl:Peter Blom (bankdirecteur) |author-last14=Bologna |author-first14=Gianfranco |author-last15=Bozesan |author-first15=Mariana |author-last16=Brown |author-first16=Peter G. |author-last17=Chacón Domínguez |author-first17=Susana Catalina |author-link17=Susana Catalina Chacón Domínguez |author-last18=Cheng |author-first18=Yi-Heng |author-last19=Costanza |author-first19=Robert |author-link19=Robert Costanza |author-last20=de Leeuw |author-first20=Bas |author-link20=Bas de Leeuw |author-last21=Dixson-Declève |author-first21=Sandrine |author-last22=Dorsey |author-first22=Michael K. |author-link22=Michael K. Dorsey |author-last23=Dubee |author-first23=Frederick C. |author-last24=Dubrulle |author-first24=Mark |author-link24=Mark Dubrulle |author-last25=Dunlop |author-first25=Ian T. |author-last26=Fainé Casas |author-first26=Isidro |author-link26=:es:Isidre Fainé Casas |author-last27=Fullerton |author-first27=John B. |author-link27=John B. Fullerton |author-last28=Gasparini |author-first28=Alberto |author-link28=Alberto Gasparini |author-last29=Geier |author-first29=Joerg |author-last30=Georgescu |author-first30=Călin |author-link30=Călin Georgescu |author-last31=Gil-Valdivia |author-first31=Gerardo |author-last32=Giovannini |author-first32=Enrico |author-link32=Enrico Giovannini |author-last33=Girardet |author-first33=Herbert |author-link33=Herbert Girardet |author-last34=Göpel |author-first34=Maja |author-link34=:de:Maja Göpel |author-last35=Güvenen |author-first35=Orhan |author-link35=:tr:Orhan Güvenen |author-last36=Gurgulino de Souza |author-first36=Heitor |author-link36=:br:Heitor Gurgulino de Souza |author-last37=Halonen |author-first37=Tarja Kaarina |author-link37=Tarja Kaarina Halonen |author-last38=Hamilton |author-first38=Carolyn |author-link38=Carolyn Hamilton (historian) |author-last39=Hargroves |author-first39=Karlson "Charlie" |author-last40=Hayashi |author-first40=Yoshitsugu |author-last41=Heinonen |author-first41=Sirkka |author-last42=Hennicke |author-first42=Peter |author-link42=:de:Peter Hennicke |author-last43=Hernández Colón |author-first43=Rafael |author-link43=Rafael Hernández Colón |author-last44=Herren |author-first44=Hans Rudolf |author-link44=Hans Rudolf Herren |author-last45=Higgs |author-first45=Kerryn |author-last46=Hoffman |author-first46=Robert |author-last47=Hudson |author-first47=Cecil Ivan |author-last48=Hughes |author-first48=Barry B. |author-link48=Barry B. Hughes |date=14 March 2019 |publisher=Club of Rome |location=Winterthur, Switzerland |url=https://www.clubofrome.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Statement-in-Support-of-Global-Student-Climate-Protests.pdf |access-date=18 March 2019 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190324131841/https://www.clubofrome.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Statement-in-Support-of-Global-Student-Climate-Protests.pdf |archive-date=24 March 2019}}</ref>
There are national CoR associations in many nations, including a number of European nations, USA, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, and Asian nations. These associations analyze national problems in terms of the same factors and give advice nationally to decision-makers.


<!-- should probably be moved into a separate article at a later stage -->
== Criticism ==
{{anchor|EarthforAll}}In 2020, the '']'' initiative was launched at the ] ''Race-to-Zero Dialogues'' session on ] to explore potential transformational political and economic solutions for the 21st century. Led by the Club of Rome, the ] and the ], a group of researchers and policymakers assessed global risks and identified five pathways to catalyze transformation and systemic change towards sustainability: energy, food, poverty, inequality and population (including health and education). The results are published in the book "Earth for All" in 2022 alongside the 50th anniversary of the ] in Stockholm and the initial publication of the '']'' in 1972.<ref name="Kellhoff_2020">{{cite web |title=New initiative on transformational economics, EarthforAll, launched |editor-first=Till |editor-last=Kellerhoff |publisher=] |date=2020-11-19 |url=https://www.clubofrome.org/impact-hubs/reframing-economics/new-initiative-on-transformational-economics-earth4all-launched/ |access-date=2022-08-30 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220830201400/https://www.clubofrome.org/impact-hubs/reframing-economics/new-initiative-on-transformational-economics-earth4all-launched/ |archive-date=2022-08-30}}</ref><ref name="COR_2022">{{cite web |title=Earth for all – A survival guide to humanity |date=2022 |publisher=] |url=https://www.clubofrome.org/publication/earth4all-book/ |access-date=2022-08-30 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220830203353/https://www.clubofrome.org/publication/earth4all-book/ |archive-date=2022-08-30}}</ref><ref name="EFA_2022">{{cite book |title=Earth for All: A Survival Guide for Humanity |author-first1=Sandrine |author-last1=Dixson-Declève |author-link1=Sandrine Dixson-Declève |author-first2=Owen |author-last2=Gaffney |author-link2= |author-first3=Jayati |author-last3=Ghosh |author-link3=Jayati Ghosh |author-first4=Jørgen |author-last4=Randers |author-link4=Jørgen Randers |author-first5=Johan |author-last5=Rockström |author-link5=Johan Rockström |author-first6=Per |author-last6=Espen Stocknes |author-link6=Per Espen Stoknes |date=2022-09-22 |publisher=] |isbn=978-0-86571986-6 |id={{ISBN|0-86571986-1}} |url=https://www.earth4all.life/book |access-date=2022-08-30 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220830202446/https://www.earth4all.life/book |archive-date=2022-08-30}} (208 pages)</ref>


===Impact Hubs===
Critics have charged the Club of Rome with "Neo-]" and strong elitism in its membership, which interlocks with European power elite groups such as ] and to a lesser degree Anglo-American elite members.
The Club of Rome has five Impact Hubs, each designed to foster collaborative solutions to global challenges. The Emerging New Civilisations hub focuses on a paradigm shift for a sustainable future, while the Planetary Emergency hub advocates for integrated responses to ], biodiversity loss, and social inequality. The Reframing Economics hub challenges growth-centric economic models in favor of sustainability and equity. The Rethinking Finance hub seeks financial system reforms to support sustainable economic transitions. Lastly, the Youth Leadership and Intergenerational Dialogues hub empowers young leaders and promotes intergenerational cooperation for systemic change, highlighting its flagship initiative, The 50 Percent, which aims to mobilize youth action across the globe. Together, these hubs represent a comprehensive approach by the Club of Rome to address the interconnected challenges facing humanity and the planet.{{fact|date=June 2024}}


==Critics==
] occasionally link the Club with various world conspiracies, notably the ].
{{See also|Malthusian#Criticism|Limits to Growth#Criticism}}
From the 1970s, the Club of Rome attracted substantial criticism. Economist ], recipient of a Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, criticized ''The Limits to Growth'' (LTG) as having "simplistic" scenarios. He has also been a vocal critic of the Club of Rome. In 2002 he said that "the one thing that really annoys me is amateurs making absurd statements about economics, and I thought that the Club of Rome was nonsense. Not because natural resources or environmental necessities might not at some time pose a limit, not on growth, but on the level of economic activity—I didn't think that was a nonsensical idea—but because the Club of Rome was doing amateur dynamics without a license, without a proper qualification. And they were doing it badly, so I got steamed up about that."<ref>{{cite web |author-last1=Clement |author-first1=Douglas |title=Interview with Robert Solow |url=https://www.minneapolisfed.org/publications/the-region/interview-with-robert-solow |website=Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis |access-date=29 November 2017 |date=1 September 2002 |archive-date=2019-11-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191116122343/https://www.minneapolisfed.org/publications/the-region/interview-with-robert-solow |url-status=dead }}</ref> However, in 2009, Solow suggested that "Thirty years later, the situation may have changed. It is possible that real demands on natural resources, and therefore on the natural environment, will be dramatically different in a world in which India and China, and other countries, too, grow at 8 or 10 percent a year, and need to pass through the material-goods-intensive phase of growth before they arrive at the service economy... it will probably be more important in the future to deal intellectually, quantitatively, as well as practically, with the mutual interdependence of economic growth, natural resource availability, and environmental constraints."<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Solow |first=Robert M. |date=2009-12-01 |title=Does Growth Have a Future? Does Growth Theory Have a Future? Are These Questions Related? |url=https://doi.org/10.1215/00182702-2009-014 |journal=History of Political Economy |volume=41 |issue=Suppl_1 |pages=27–34 |doi=10.1215/00182702-2009-014 |issn=0018-2702}}</ref>


An analysis of the world model used for ''The Limits to Growth'' in 1976 by mathematicians Vermeulen and De Jongh has shown it to be "very sensitive to small parameter variations" and having "dubious assumptions and approximations".<ref>{{cite journal |author-last1=Vermeulen |author-first1=P. J. |author-last2=De Jongh |author-first2=D. C. J. |date=29 June 1976 |title=Parameter sensitivity of the 'Limits to Growth' world model |journal=Applied Mathematical Modelling |volume=1 |issue=1 |pages=29–32 |doi=10.1016/0307-904X(76)90021-4 |doi-access=}}</ref>
], well known U.S. author and film producer, criticizes the Club's empty prediction--analyzing the effects of scientific misinformation on society-- that the world would exhaust its supply of raw materials by the 1980s and 90s in a speech given at the Washington Center for Complexity and Public Policy; entitled "Fear, Complexity, Environmental Management in the 21st Century."

In 1973, an interdisciplinary team at Sussex University's ] reviewed the structure and assumptions of the models used and published their analysis in ''Models of Doom'', finding that the forecasts of the world's future are very sensitive to a few unduly pessimistic key assumptions. The Sussex scientists also wrote that the ] ''et al.'' methods, data, and predictions were faulty, that their world models (and their ] bias) did not accurately reflect reality.<ref>{{cite book |author-last=Cole |author-first=H. S. D. |date=1973 |title=Models of doom; a critique of The limits to growth |url=https://archive.org/details/modelsofdoomcrit00cole |url-access=registration |location=USA |publisher=Universe Books |page= p., illus |isbn=0-87663184-7 |ol=5312431M}}</ref>

Economist ], in his 1995 book '']'', describes economist ], biologist ], the Club of Rome and ] as "the anointed", declaring that "they were utterly certain in their predictions, yet completely disproven empirically, though their reputations remained perfectly undamaged".<ref>{{cite book |last=Sowell |first=Thomas |date=1995 |title=] |publisher=Basic Books |isbn=978-0-465-08995-6 |pages= 64–65}}</ref> According to the ], he describes them "promoters of a worldview concocted out of fantasy, impervious to any real-world considerations".<ref>{{cite web |url= http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1282/is_n20_v47/ai_17443658 |title= The Vision of the Anointed: Self-Congratulation as a Basis for Social Policy |accessdate= 2008-09-20 |last= George |first= Robert P. |date= 1995-10-23 |publisher= National Review |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20091127095835/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1282/is_n20_v47/ai_17443658/ |archive-date= 2009-11-27 |url-status= dead }}</ref>

==Support==
In contrast, ], a member of Nobel Peace Prize (1995) winning group associated with the ] on Science and World Affairs, supported the basic thesis of ''The Limits to Growth'' by stating, "Although the specific predictions of resource availability in '' Limits to Growth'' lacked accuracy, its basic thesis{{snd}} that unlimited economic growth on a finite planet is impossible{{snd}} was indisputably correct."<ref>{{Cite book |author-last=Avery |author-first=John Scales |title=Information Theory and Evolution |publisher=] |date=2012 |isbn=978-981-4401-22-7 |location=Singapore |pages=233}}</ref>

In 1980, ] president ] commissioned the ], which undertook a long-term global economic modelling exercise similar to the Club of Rome's research. The report arrived at similar conclusions regarding expected global resource scarcity, and the need for multilateral coordination to prepare for this situation.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Pierre |first=Andrew J. |date=Spring 1981 |title=Capsule Review - The Global 2000 Report to the President. Vol. I: Entering the Twenty-First Century. Vol. II: The Technical Report". Foreign Affairs. |url=https://www.foreignaffairs.com/reviews/capsule-review/1981-03-01/global-2000-report-president-vol-i-entering-twenty-first-century |journal=Foreign Affairs|volume=59 |issue=Spring 1981 }}</ref>

Over the years, various studies have supported aspects of Club of Rome research. In 2008, a study by Graham Turner of the Australian research organisation ] found that "30 years of historical data compare favorably with key features of a business-as-usual scenario called the "standard run" scenario, which results in collapse of the global system midway through the 21st century."<ref>{{cite journal |date=2008 |title=A comparison of The Limits to Growth with 30 years of reality |url=http://graduateinstitute.ch/files/live/sites/iheid/files/sites/political_science/users/elena.gadjanova/public/Issues%20in%20Env%20Politics%202010/Turner%202008.pdf |journal=] |volume=18 |issue=3 |pages=397–411 |doi=10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2008.05.001 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140913032823/http://graduateinstitute.ch/files/live/sites/iheid/files/sites/political_science/users/elena.gadjanova/public/Issues%20in%20Env%20Politics%202010/Turner%202008.pdf |archive-date=13 September 2014 |access-date=13 May 2016 |author-first=Graham M. |author-last=Turner|bibcode=2008GEC....18..397T }}</ref> In 2020, econometrician ] published a study in the Yale University's ] which concluded that all economic data since the 1970s was consistent with the World3 BAU scenario in ''Limits to Growth,'' which could mean that rapid degrowth would occur after 2040''.''<ref>{{Cite news |last=Helmore |first=Edward |date=2021-07-25 |title=Yep, it's bleak, says expert who tested 1970s end-of-the-world prediction |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jul/25/gaya-herrington-mit-study-the-limits-to-growth |access-date=2023-07-18 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ahmed |first=Nafeez |date=2021-07-14 |title=MIT Predicted in 1972 That Society Will Collapse This Century. New Research Shows We're on Schedule. |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/z3xw3x/new-research-vindicates-1972-mit-prediction-that-society-will-collapse-soon |access-date=2023-07-18 |website=Vice |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Rosane |first=Olivia |date=2021-07-26 |title=1972 Warning of Civilizational Collapse Was on Point, New Study Finds |url=https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-crisis-civilization-collapse-mit-2653980183.html |access-date=2023-07-18 |website=EcoWatch |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Notable members==
Past and present<ref>{{Cite web |title=Members - Club of Rome |url=https://www.clubofrome.org/members/ |access-date=7 September 2024 |website=Club of Rome}}</ref> members of the Club of Rome include:
{{div-col}}
* ], honorary member <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.clubofrome.org/member/queen-beatrix-of-the-netherlands/ |title=Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands |author=<!--Not stated--> |website=Club of Rome |access-date=18 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220301202536/https://www.clubofrome.org/member/queen-beatrix-of-the-netherlands/ |archive-date=1 March 2022}}</ref>
* ], President of the Club of Rome 2000–2006
* ], author of ''The World We Create''
* ]
* ] (born in 1935), former ] of the ] (Taiwan)
* ] (born 1944), Director of the ] <!-- (University of Toronto) 1983–2008 -->
* ]
* ] (1943–2021)
* ], co-president since 2018
* ]
* ] (1929–2014)
* ] (1933–2014)
* ] (b.1900 d.1979)<ref>{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/beyondageofwaste0000gabo |title=Club of Rome: Beyond the Age of Waste |author-last1=Gabor |author-first1=Dennis |author-link1=Dennis Gabor |author-last2=Colombo |author-first2=Umberto |author-last3=King |author-first3=Alexander |author-link3=Alexander King (scientist) |author-last4=Galli |author-first4=Riccardo |publisher=] |isbn=0-08-021834-2 |date=1978 |url-access=registration}}</ref>
* ] (born in 1962)<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-09-28 |title=Georgescu, Calin - Club of Rome |url=https://clubofrome.org/member/georgescu-calin/ |access-date=2024-12-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200928123617/https://clubofrome.org/member/georgescu-calin/ |archive-date=28 September 2020 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Statement in support of global student climate protests |date=14 March 2019 |publisher=Club of Rome |location=Winterthur, Switzerland |url=https://www.clubofrome.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Statement-in-Support-of-Global-Student-Climate-Protests.pdf |access-date=18 March 2019 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190324131841/https://www.clubofrome.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Statement-in-Support-of-Global-Student-Climate-Protests.pdf |archive-date=24 March 2019}}</ref>
* ] Australian-born social philosopher and writer
* ] (1906–1994), economist<!-- , author of ''The Entropy Law and the Economic Process'' -->
* ] (1931–2022), last leader of the Soviet Union
* ], son in law of ]
* ] (1936–2011), last president of Czechoslovakia<!-- , first president of the Czech Republic -->
* ] (1926–2016)<!-- – economist, chairman International Management Institute – Kyiv ({{ill|IMI-Kyiv|uk}}), Honorary Council of Ukraine -->
* ], President, 1991–2000<ref></ref>
* ]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.clubofrome.org/members-groups/honorary-members/ |title=List of Honorary Members |author=<!--Not stated--> |website=Club of Rome |access-date=4 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191214192248/http://www.clubofrome.org/members-groups/honorary-members/ |archive-date=14 December 2019 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
* ] (born in 1949), the governor of the ] in ]
* ], author of ''Technological Forecasting'' (1929–1980)
* ], co-president, 2006–2012
* ] (1909–2007), President of the Club of Rome 1984–1990, founding member<ref name="founders">{{cite web |title=The story of the Club of Rome |url=http://www.clubofrome.org/?p=375 |publisher=Club of Rome |access-date=27 May 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130531074559/http://www.clubofrome.org/?p=375 |archive-date=31 May 2013}}</ref>
* ], former Secretary General of the ] (1914–2010)
* ]
* ] – first female member since 1970
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ] (1908–1984) founding member<ref name="founders" />
* ] (1918–1992)
* ]
* ], co-president (2018 – 2022)
* ] (born 1945), ] - Counsel for Astra Zeneca UK
* ]
* ] (1917–2012)
* ] (1919–2000), former prime minister of ]
* ] (1923–2009), Chief Scientific Advisor to the Canadian government 1969–1971
* ] (1919–2014)
* ] (1925–2003)
* ], co-president, 2006–2012
* ], co-president, 2012–2018
* ], co-president, 2012–2018
{{div-col-end}}


== See also == == See also ==
<!---♦♦♦ Please keep the list in alphabetical order ♦♦♦--->
{{div col|colwidth=50em}}
* ]
* ]
* ] * ]
* ] - ] * ]
* ] - (]) * ] ]
* ]
** Authors: ], ], ], and ].
* ]
*** ] - ]
*** ] * ]
* ]
** ] (Hubbert's peak)
* ] * ]
* '']''
* '']''
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{reflist|33em}}


==External links== ==External links==
{{Commonscatinline}}
*
* '''', documentary about ''The Limits to Growth'' (])
*
* , 17 March 2010 (Draft)
*
*
*
*
* Our collective denial of the limits to growth
* Suter, Keith (July 1999). . ''Contemporary Review'', Vol. 275, Issue 1602, pp.&nbsp;1–5.
* ]


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Latest revision as of 10:44, 29 December 2024

Political and economic think tank
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The Club of Rome
Founded1968 by Aurelio Peccei and Alexander King
Co-Presidents: Sandrine Dixson-Declève and Paul Shrivastava
TypeNon-profit
NGO
Location
FieldsGlobal warming, well-being, humanitarian challenges
WebsiteClubOfRome.org

The Club of Rome is a nonprofit, informal organization of intellectuals and business leaders whose goal is a critical discussion of pressing global issues. The Club of Rome was founded in 1968 at Accademia dei Lincei in Rome, Italy. It consists of one hundred full members selected from current and former heads of state and government, UN administrators, high-level politicians and government officials, diplomats, scientists, economists, and business leaders from around the globe. It stimulated considerable public attention in 1972 with the first report to the Club of Rome, The Limits to Growth. Since 1 July 2008, the organization has been based in Winterthur, Switzerland.

History

Origins

In 1965, the Italian industrialist Aurelio Peccei gave a speech about the dramatic scientific and technological changes happening in the world. The speech was noticed by Alexander King, a British scientist who had advised the British government, and who was currently serving as Director-General for Scientific Affairs at the OECD. King arranged a meeting with Peccei. The pair shared a lack of confidence that the problems faced by the world could be solved by development and technological progress.

In April 1968, Peccei and King convened a small international group of people from the fields of academia, civil society, diplomacy, and industry met at Villa Farnesina in Rome. The background paper to set the tone of the meeting was entitled "A tentative framework for initiating system wide planning of world scope", by Austrian OECD consultant Erich Jantsch. However, the meeting was described as a "monumental flop", with discussions becoming bogged down in technical and semantic debates.

After the meeting, Peccei, King, Jantsch, and Hugo Thiemann decided to form the Club of Rome, named for the city of their meeting.

First steps

Central to the formation of the club was Peccei's concept of the problematic. It was his opinion that viewing the problems of humankind—environmental deterioration, poverty, endemic ill-health, urban blight, criminality—individually, in isolation or as "problems capable of being solved in their own terms", was doomed to failure. All are interrelated. "It is this generalized meta-problem (or meta-system of problems) which we have called and shall continue to call the 'problematic' that inheres in our situation."

In October 1968, the OECD held a symposium in Bellagio, Italy, in collaboration with the Rockefeller Foundation, at which several new members joined the Club. The symposium focused on the dangers of exponential growth—which by its nature cannot continue forever—and ended with participants signing "The Bellagio Declaration on Planning", which emphasized the need to overcome global problems through coordination.

For a brief period, the Club's ideas held sway within the OECD, thanks to King's efforts in promoting the group's work. When Secretary General Thorkil Kristensen formed a group of ten science and economic experts in 1969 to study problems for modern societies, four of the ten were members of the Club of Rome.

In 1970, Peccei's vision was laid out in a document written by Hasan Özbekhan, Erich Jantsch, and Alexander Christakis. Entitled, The Predicament of Mankind; Quest for Structured Responses to Growing Worldwide Complexities and Uncertainties: A PROPOSAL. The document would serve as the roadmap for the Limits to Growth project.

The Limits to Growth

The Club of Rome stimulated considerable public attention with the first report to the club, The Limits to Growth. Published in 1972, its computer simulations suggested that growth of production and consumption could not continue indefinitely because of either resource depletion or unmanageable levels of pollution. The 1973 oil crisis increased public concern about this problem. The report went on to sell 30 million copies in more than 30 languages, making it the best-selling environmental book in history.

Although the Club of Rome had enjoyed some influence at the OECD, their questioning of the value of growth "deepened the internal fractures within the OECD and provoked hostile reactions, leading to a revitalization of the strong pro-growth position." A 1973 booklet on the OECD's approach to environmental issues stated that the role of governments in "an acceptable human environment must now be developed in the framework of policies for economic growth". The OECD had given up on the Club of Rome, and set its course on a trajectory of unfettered growth.

1974–present

Even before The Limits to Growth was published, Eduard Pestel and Mihajlo Mesarovic of Case Western Reserve University had begun work on a far more elaborate model (it distinguished ten world regions and involved 200,000 equations compared with 1,000 in the Meadows model). The research had the full support of the club and its final publication, Mankind at the Turning Point, was accepted as the official "second report" to the Club of Rome in 1974. In addition to providing a more refined regional breakdown, Pestel and Mesarovic had succeeded in integrating social as well as technical data. The second report revised the scenarios of the original Limits to Growth and gave a more optimistic prognosis for the future of the environment, noting that many of the factors involved were within human control and therefore that environmental and economic catastrophe were preventable or avoidable.

In 1991, the club published The First Global Revolution. It analyses the problems of humanity, calling these collectively or in essence the "problematique". It notes that, historically, social or political unity has commonly been motivated by enemies in common:

The need for enemies seems to be a common historical factor. Some states have striven to overcome domestic failure and internal contradictions by blaming external enemies. The ploy of finding a scapegoat is as old as mankind itself—when things become too difficult at home, divert attention to adventure abroad. Bring the divided nation together to face an outside enemy, either a real one, or else one invented for the purpose. With the disappearance of the traditional enemy, the temptation is to use religious or ethnic minorities as scapegoats, especially those whose differences from the majority are disturbing.

...Every state has been so used to classifying its neighbours as friend or foe, that the sudden absence of traditional adversaries has left governments and public opinion with a great void to fill. New enemies have to be identified, new strategies imagined, and new weapons devised.

In searching for a common enemy against whom we can unite, we came up with the idea that pollution, the threat of global warming, water shortages, famine and the like, would fit the bill. In their totality and their interactions these phenomena do constitute a common threat which must be confronted by everyone together. But in designating these dangers as the enemy, we fall into the trap, which we have already warned readers about, namely mistaking symptoms for causes. All these dangers are caused by human intervention in natural processes, and it is only through changed attitudes and behaviour that they can be overcome. The real enemy then is humanity itself.

In 2001, the Club of Rome established a think tank, called tt30, consisting of about 30 men and women, ages 25–35. It aimed to identify problems in the world and suggest approaches to addressing them, from the perspective of youth.

In 2008, the club moved its headquarters from Hamburg to Winterthur in Switzerland.

In 2018, the Club of Rome appointed its first female co-presidents. The same year, co-presidents Ernst Ulrich von Weizsäcker and Anders Wijkman collaborated with over 30 members to publish "Come On! Capitalism, Short-termism, Population and the Destruction of the Planet". This publication advocated for profound changes in the interactions between governments, businesses, financial systems, innovators, and families to foster sustainable planetary stewardship.

Four years later, in 2022, the Club of Rome introduced "Earth for All: A Survival Guide for Humanity", released fifty years after the pioneering "Limits to Growth". This new publication, unveiled at events including the closing of the New York Stock Exchange, stems from the Earth4All initiative—a collaborative effort among institutions such as the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and the Stockholm Resilience Centre.

Organization

According to its website, the Club of Rome is composed of "scientists, economists, businessmen, international high civil servants, heads of state and former heads of state from all five continents who are convinced that the future of humankind is not determined once and for all and that each human being can contribute to the improvement of our societies".

The Club of Rome is a membership organization and has different membership categories. Full members engage in the research activities, projects, and contribute to decision-making processes during the club's annual general assembly. Of the full members, 12 are elected to form the executive committee, which sets the general direction and the agenda. Of the executive committee, two are elected as co-presidents. The secretary-general is appointed by the executive committee and is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the club. Aside from full members there are associate members, who participate in research and projects, but have no vote in the general assembly. The club has a satellite office in Brussels.

The club also has honorary members. Notable honorary members include Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands, Orio Giarini, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Mikhail Gorbachev, King Juan Carlos I of Spain, Horst Köhler, and Manmohan Singh.

The annual general assembly of 2016 took place in Berlin on 10–11 November. Among the guest speakers were former German President Christian Wulff, German Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development Gerd Müller, as well as Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus.

National associations

The club has national associations in 35 countries and territories. The mission of the national associations is to spread the ideas and vision in their respective countries, to offer solutions and to lobby for a more sustainable and just economy in their nations, and to support the international secretariat of the club with the organization of events, such as the annual general assembly.

Current activities

As of 2023, there have been 54 reports to the club. These are internally reviewed studies commissioned by the executive committee, or suggested by a member or group of members, or by outside individuals and institutions. The most recent reports, both published in 2022, are "Earth for All – A Survival Guide for Humanity" and "Limits and Beyond: 50 Years on from The Limits to Growth, What Did We Learn and What’s Next?".

On 14 March 2019, the Club of Rome issued an official statement in support of Greta Thunberg and the school strikes for climate, urging governments across the world to respond to this call for action and cut global carbon emissions.

In 2020, the Earth4All initiative was launched at the UNFCCC Race-to-Zero Dialogues session on Transformational Leadership to explore potential transformational political and economic solutions for the 21st century. Led by the Club of Rome, the BI Norwegian Business School and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, a group of researchers and policymakers assessed global risks and identified five pathways to catalyze transformation and systemic change towards sustainability: energy, food, poverty, inequality and population (including health and education). The results are published in the book "Earth for All" in 2022 alongside the 50th anniversary of the first Earth Summit in Stockholm and the initial publication of the Limits to Growth in 1972.

Impact Hubs

The Club of Rome has five Impact Hubs, each designed to foster collaborative solutions to global challenges. The Emerging New Civilisations hub focuses on a paradigm shift for a sustainable future, while the Planetary Emergency hub advocates for integrated responses to climate change, biodiversity loss, and social inequality. The Reframing Economics hub challenges growth-centric economic models in favor of sustainability and equity. The Rethinking Finance hub seeks financial system reforms to support sustainable economic transitions. Lastly, the Youth Leadership and Intergenerational Dialogues hub empowers young leaders and promotes intergenerational cooperation for systemic change, highlighting its flagship initiative, The 50 Percent, which aims to mobilize youth action across the globe. Together, these hubs represent a comprehensive approach by the Club of Rome to address the interconnected challenges facing humanity and the planet.

Critics

See also: Malthusian § Criticism, and Limits to Growth § Criticism

From the 1970s, the Club of Rome attracted substantial criticism. Economist Robert Solow, recipient of a Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, criticized The Limits to Growth (LTG) as having "simplistic" scenarios. He has also been a vocal critic of the Club of Rome. In 2002 he said that "the one thing that really annoys me is amateurs making absurd statements about economics, and I thought that the Club of Rome was nonsense. Not because natural resources or environmental necessities might not at some time pose a limit, not on growth, but on the level of economic activity—I didn't think that was a nonsensical idea—but because the Club of Rome was doing amateur dynamics without a license, without a proper qualification. And they were doing it badly, so I got steamed up about that." However, in 2009, Solow suggested that "Thirty years later, the situation may have changed. It is possible that real demands on natural resources, and therefore on the natural environment, will be dramatically different in a world in which India and China, and other countries, too, grow at 8 or 10 percent a year, and need to pass through the material-goods-intensive phase of growth before they arrive at the service economy... it will probably be more important in the future to deal intellectually, quantitatively, as well as practically, with the mutual interdependence of economic growth, natural resource availability, and environmental constraints."

An analysis of the world model used for The Limits to Growth in 1976 by mathematicians Vermeulen and De Jongh has shown it to be "very sensitive to small parameter variations" and having "dubious assumptions and approximations".

In 1973, an interdisciplinary team at Sussex University's Science Policy Research Unit reviewed the structure and assumptions of the models used and published their analysis in Models of Doom, finding that the forecasts of the world's future are very sensitive to a few unduly pessimistic key assumptions. The Sussex scientists also wrote that the Dennis Meadows et al. methods, data, and predictions were faulty, that their world models (and their Malthusian bias) did not accurately reflect reality.

Economist Thomas Sowell, in his 1995 book The Vision of the Anointed, describes economist John Kenneth Galbraith, biologist Paul R. Ehrlich, the Club of Rome and Worldwatch Institute as "the anointed", declaring that "they were utterly certain in their predictions, yet completely disproven empirically, though their reputations remained perfectly undamaged". According to the National Review, he describes them "promoters of a worldview concocted out of fantasy, impervious to any real-world considerations".

Support

In contrast, John Scales Avery, a member of Nobel Peace Prize (1995) winning group associated with the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs, supported the basic thesis of The Limits to Growth by stating, "Although the specific predictions of resource availability in Limits to Growth lacked accuracy, its basic thesis – that unlimited economic growth on a finite planet is impossible – was indisputably correct."

In 1980, United States president Jimmy Carter commissioned the Global 2000 Report to the President, which undertook a long-term global economic modelling exercise similar to the Club of Rome's research. The report arrived at similar conclusions regarding expected global resource scarcity, and the need for multilateral coordination to prepare for this situation.

Over the years, various studies have supported aspects of Club of Rome research. In 2008, a study by Graham Turner of the Australian research organisation CSIRO found that "30 years of historical data compare favorably with key features of a business-as-usual scenario called the "standard run" scenario, which results in collapse of the global system midway through the 21st century." In 2020, econometrician Gaya Herrington published a study in the Yale University's Journal of Industrial Ecology which concluded that all economic data since the 1970s was consistent with the World3 BAU scenario in Limits to Growth, which could mean that rapid degrowth would occur after 2040.

Notable members

Past and present members of the Club of Rome include:

See also

References

  1. "The First Global Revolution". The Green Agenda. 2005-11-19. Retrieved 2012-12-06.
  2. "Club of Rome hat eine neue Heimat gefunden". Neue Zürcher Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 2023-02-03.
  3. Suter, Keith (1999). "Fair Warning?: The Club of Rome Revisited". www.abc.net.au. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  4. ^ Schmelzer, Matthias (2017). "'Born in the corridors of the OECD': the forgotten origins of the Club of Rome, transnational networks, and the 1970s in global history". Journal of Global History. 12 (1): 26–48. doi:10.1017/S1740022816000322. ISSN 1740-0228. S2CID 164497528.
  5. "History: 1968". Club of Rome. Retrieved 2017-11-29.
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