The Club of Rome is widely recognized as the global think tank of reference in the domain of sustainability. In 1968 it started questioning the framing of human development in the modern industrialized civilization, based on the illusion of unlimited material growth, and the (lack of) feasibility of its generalization to the whole of humanity. It acquired a substantial notoriety and reputation through the publication of “The Limits to Growth” in 1972, which sold more than 30 million copies and initiated a global and controversial debate. This contributed to the global awareness about the risks of the dominant model of development and to the emergence of the substantially new discipline of sustainability, and the attempt to develop policies coherent with that new perspective.
At the same time, the Club of Rome recognized very early the need to complement analyses of sustainability based on knowledge provided by natural sciences with the importance of cultural factors. In this respect, the seminal work “No Limits to Learning”, published by the Club in 1979, is still fundamentally valid in its way to approach the “human gap” (between our capacity to understand and the ultimate consequences of our actions) and the “human revolution” (to develop our capacities in a way alternative to consumerism), to use expressions dear to CoR founder Aurelio Peccei.
Structured around the lemma “Emergence from Emergency”, the programmatic agenda of the Club of Rome is grounded in leading-edge systems thinking as expressed in two-legged strategy. One leg is dedicated to influencing policy-making in the context of governments and multilateral institutions. The other seeks to identify and address the burning questions of our time, with the aim of shaping and influencing the conditions under which deeper cultural transformations can occur. This strategy is very well aligned with the principles of BRIDGES.
The Club of Rome’s programme of activities called “The Fifth Element: Life for Learning, Learning for Life” serves to engage all kinds of actors, individuals as well as organizations, youth and women in particular, in learning processes towards a new definition of human development. The aim of the program is to take a leap in sense-making, by facilitating the enablement and learning of communities to act by themselves on the existential challenges mentioned above, in ways relevant to their own contexts. The Fifth Element is an ongoing collaborative effort in partnership with global and local players, including the Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) activities of UNESCO and the #LearningPlanet platform. This programme also provided the background for the Club of Rome to get involved in the BRIDGES Coalition.
In its contribution to the operational program of BRIDGES as a thematic hub, The Club of Rome brings valuable implementation capacities to the coalition’s mandate. Built on its own well established programs, global scope of activities and diverse modalities of engagement, The CoR BRIDGES Hub strengthens the coalition’s mandate in following dimensions:
We’re a dynamic group of individuals who are passionate about what we do and dedicated to delivering the best results for our clients.
Vice President of the Club of Rome and the Director of the BRIDGES Impact Hub. He is member of the Advisory Board of the the Bateson Institute and fellow of the WAAS.
Programme Manager for the Emerging New Civilisations & Youth Leadership and Intergenerational Dialogues Impact Hubs at the Club of Rome.
Programme Coordinator for the Emerging New Civilisations Impact Hub at the Club of Rome.
The project — We are not Waiting by The 50 Percent and UNESCO-MOST BRIDGES Coalition — is built around six themes that reflect what young people are already doing to change the world. If you are between 14 and 35 and your work touches any of them, we want to hear from you. Each theme is a question. Each question points to work already happening.
We are not waiting is a joint initiative by the UNESCO–MOST BRIDGES UK Hub and The 50 Percent at the Club of Rome, with two linked outputs: a youth-led webinar series and an accompanying anthology.
Published in May 2025 by the United Nations Youth Office, the St. Gallen Symposium, and The Club of Rome, this report makes a compelling case for a fundamental shift in how power and wisdom are distributed within organisations. It argues that involving younger generations meaningfully in decision-making across all levels of an organisation creates forward-thinking institutions that are more responsive to the complex challenges facing the world today, while also ensuring long-term sustainability.
Earth4All are inviting young people around the world to imagine new stories about the future – and share them in a creative challenge. "When we tell better stories, we create space for change.'' The Stories of the Future initiative is calling on the next generation to envision a more hopeful world. If you are aged 21 or under, Earth4All want to see your vision. Whether through the written word, digital art, traditional painting, or cinematography, share your vision of the future where humanity thrives.
As part of our ongoing series highlighting pivotal works released in 2025, we turn our attention to a foundational resource designed for the next generation of global stewards. The Young Person’s Guide to Systems Change, produced by The 50 Percent, a platform for young leaders supported by The Club of Rome, serves as both a manifesto and a practical toolkit for navigating the complexities of current times.
