Sustainable Futures: Toward a Sufficient Economy

Centre for Business, Innovation, and the Regions

International Research Conference 2026

Dates: 8-11 September 2026
Format: Fully online (plenary sessions & panel discussions)

About the conference

Climate crisis demands a fundamental transformation of our economic and social systems. However, far too often, "business as usual" remains anchored in extractivist growth policies and the maximisation of efficiencies or ‘more for less’.

This conference seeks to rebalance the debate. We foreground the politics and policies of sufficiency - the concept of ‘enoughness’ and the equitable meeting of needs within our planetary boundaries.

We invite researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to join us in exploring how cultures of sufficiency can be embedded into everyday economic practices to foster a just and sustainable future and to transform how we do business.

Call for papers

We welcome the submission of papers and panels which explore the concept of sufficiency, sufficiency in practice and alternative models for a sufficient economy.

Our conference focuses on Sustainable Futures, seeking to redefine the role of markets and consumption within an economy designed to meet human needs while respecting planetary boundaries.

We invite contributions across all dimensions of economic, business management, finance and technologies, including:

  • Conceptual and empirical papers that develop sustainable futures through the lens of circular economics, finance and technological models that prioritise resource longevity and distributive equity
  • Methodological papers offering innovative approaches to measuring well-being over volume, and
  • Pedagogic papers that outline strategies for teaching business leaders how to champion sufficiency

Important dates & deadlines

  • Final deadline for paper or panel submission:
    15 May 2026

  • Paper decision:
    30 June 2026

  • Notification of acceptance:
    30 June 2026

  • Early bird registration deadline: 15th June 2026 

  • Final registration deadline:
    31 July 2026 

  • Conference dates:
    8–11 September 2026

Tracks

Conference themes include the following illustrative debates:

  • Moving beyond technological fixes and efficiency gains
  • Alternative sufficient business and social models
  • Regenerative systems and biodiversity
  • Digital and technological models for sufficiency
  • Equitable needs vs. excessive consumption
  • Just transitions and sufficiency
  • Evidence-based pathways for sufficient economic models
  • Global perspectives on circular economic models
  • Circular finance and investment in sufficient economies
  • De-risking sufficiency

Guidelines for submissions

All abstracts for papers and panels must be sent to DTIB.Conference@staffs.ac.uk

Abstracts for papers to include:

  • Submit a paper or proposal outline of no more than 500 words, including the title, any references, and up to five keywords
  • References are additional to the 500-word count. References must be presented in Havard Style

Abstracts for panels to include:

  • No more than 4 papers on a themed discussion
  • 250-word outline of the panel theme, as well as individual abstracts for each paper

 

We welcome papers and panel proposals from doctoral students. Please note the organisers will not accept male-only panels.

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