This is an act of care
Keynote by Tim Jackson at the #SCORAI 2025 conference
10 April 2025
At the SCORAI Europe 2025 Conference, hosted this year at Lund University, Sweden, CUSP co-director Professor Tim Jackson delivered a powerful keynote address, drawing from his latest book, The Care Economy, in which he calls for a fundamental rethinking of economic priorities.
Jackson challenges the prevailing paradigm of perpetual growth, arguing instead that true prosperity lies in safeguarding health—of individuals, communities, and the planet. He identifies care—broadly defined as the work that sustains life—as a critical yet undervalued pillar of a sustainable future. In domains such as healthcare, education, and community support, he sees the foundation for a low-carbon, employment-rich economy oriented around human well-being rather than material throughput.
Far from being idealistic, Jackson’s analysis is rooted in systemic critique. He exposes how the relentless pursuit of growth fuels ecological collapse, erodes public health, and deepens social inequality. Drawing connections between chronic disease, profit-driven food systems, gendered divisions of labour, and the political prioritisation of militarisation over care, he presents a sobering diagnosis of our current trajectory. Yet within this critique lies a clear imperative: building economies around care is not a luxury—it is a necessity for a just and livable future.
CUSP research was strongly represented throughout the conference. Professor Kate Burningham and Dr Patrick Elf presented their respective work in panels and seminars, contributing to critical discussions on sustainable consumption and societal transformation. Dr Anastasia Loukianov organised a dedicated workshop session on behalf of CUSP, further enriching the programme. For full details and additional materials from the event, please visit the conference website: https://www.scorai2025.event.lu.se.
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