Special issue: Selected papers of the WWWforEurope conference on modelling growth and socio-ecological transition, Vienna, 2013

In the aftermath of the Great Recession, long-run issues about planetary boundaries, progressing environmental degradation, emerging inequality and poverty have been partly displaced by short-run issues as, for example, income losses, unemployment and social problems. From a European policy perspective these issues need to be considered simultaneously. This was the main topic of the conference ‘‘Modelling Growth and Socio-Ecological transition’’ organised within the 7th Framework Programme project ‘‘WWWforEurope’’. So far, the majority of current growth models focus on traditional growth drivers (e.g. total factor productivity), incorporating environmental boundaries only on an aggregate level in a simple specification. They do not take into account that the (growing) economic system cannot be considered separately, but is embedded in a social system that is part of an environmental system itself. In order to tackle the challenges mentioned above and to move towards a more economically dynamic, socially inclusive and environmentally sustainable European society/economy a socio-ecological transition is needed. The availability of models incorporating social and environmental dimensions is an important prerequisite to objectively and realistically evaluate potential consequences of such a transition. Particularly, the intended but also non-intended economic, social and environmental effects of different economic instruments and policy options related to a socio-ecological transition need to be identified. On March 12th and 13th, 2013, the Austrian Institute of Economic Research (WIFO) addressed this important topic at a Conference on ‘‘Modelling Growth and Socio-ecological transition’’ in Vienna, where the participants presented, compared and discussed existing and yet to be developed economic models that also consider