Events

Seminar Eco-Science: Thursday, 15th January 2026 at 10:00 am

Annick Vignes (Directrice de recherche INRAE, Laboratoire LISIS

(Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire Sciences Innovation Sociétés), Chercheure associée CAMS-EHESS

(Centre d’analyse et de mathématiques sociales),

Professeure à l’École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées

Title: Unlocking the economy: a systemic approach to ecological and social transition

Seminar room, Building A

Abstract: The field of economics has been built on an instrumental conception of nature, treating it as an inexhaustible reservoir of resources. Since the late 19th century, economic theories have largely been structured around the notions of individual preferences and market exchanges. But can a paradigm based on utility maximization and market allocation of resources meet the economic challenges of the ecological and social transition? Can it help protect the climate and biodiversity, address the imperative of social justice necessary to gain acceptance for the ecological shift, and reconcile the short-termism of finance with the long-term requirements of sustainability?
After analyzing the systemic obstacles to the Great Transition, we will explore what solutions can be proposed in the economic and financial spheres to unlock the situation.