By 2050, Europe wants to become climate-neutral. But as time goes by, the question arises: how can we ever realise these radical ambitions?

Europe's complex climate policy has barely made an impact on CO2 emissions in the past decade. Yet we do not question the current policy, which focuses on correcting market forces through price instruments, incentives, subsidies and soft regulation. Such an approach assumes that our economic decisions are primarily driven by market forces.

However, according to Nobel Prize winner Herbert Simon (1916-2001), we do not live in a market economy, but in an organisational economy, dominated by private and public organisations that grow by shielding themselves from the unpredictable game of supply and demand. 

In this keynote, Johan Albrecht applies Herbert Simon's insights to the climate challenge. He shows that a policy that focuses on market forces can never provoke a systemic change, but also points out the key role that flexible organisations can play in the climate policy of tomorrow.

After all, companies with a Net Zero agenda are today much more ambitious than our governments. 

This talk makes clear how we can better mobilise flexible and strong organisations to secure our climate future.

Welcome to the organisational economy!