Many international reports are sounding the alarm. Global warming is happening under our very eyes. The consequences are already being felt. Soon the media will convey the concerns with regard to biodiversity that will also put the international institutions and organisations to work.
Whatever the outcome and the manner, we have no other choice than to bring the economy in line with its environment. Ecolo hopes to integrate all the positive energies in order to realise this ecological transition of the economy and find "green growth points". Everyone's creativity will be required. We will need to do better with less, we will need to grow while consuming less energy and, according to some, we will need to live better while consuming less of everything...
Growth is circumscribed by several boundaries. If we are unable to shift all these boundaries, we will need to modulate the growth modes. What will drive tomorrow's economy? What will be the place of marketing? What will be the social responsibility of companies and more specifically that of the marketing poles in the face of the ecological challenges? Should we be satisfied with a simple greening of the economy, of the products and services sold, or should we strive for a more radical transformation? These are the stakes that Ecolo aims to discuss and for which it aims to raise awareness in order for us all to work together towards a better world, preserved and viable for present and future generations.
Green growth shall be the growth engine in the years to come. The ecological constraints are such that they will inevitably transform our societies, our economies, our companies, including marketing.
Ecology as such is directly linked to the "return on relevance" theme. Indeed, what could be more "relevant" for the economy than to integrate its environment? Ecology is the future of economy, tomorrow's marketing will be green or will no longer exist...
Bio
Jean-Michel Javaux was born in Liège, on 24 November 1967. Married and in love, he is the father of 4 children.
During his university education he obtained a Master's degree in Political Sciences and International Relations from the ULB (Free University of Brussels) as well as a High School diploma from Fillmore, NY (USA) and specialised in International Politics at Hull University (GB).
Before embarking on his political career, Jean-Michel Javaux worked in a number of small jobs. He was responsible for the wine section in a Delhaize supermarket, a hospital porter at the CHU of Liège, a sales assistant for children's books... in Flanders and even responsible for the export campaign of an SME in Brabant.
He started his political career in 1994 as group leader at the municipal council of Amay, a municipality of some 13,144 inhabitants, of which he has been the Burgomaster since 2006. In June 1999, he was elected at the Walloon Parliament. During his term of office as deputy, he chaired over the Commission for Internal Affairs and Public Service of the regional parliament. In July 2003, he was elected leader of the Ecolo Party (Green) which he currently co-chairs with Sarah Turine.