29 January 2026 – The 1990s were a challenging period for the Club of Rome. After two decades of strong influence following the release of The Limits to Growth in 1972, the organisation began to lose momentum. Funding became limited and many early supporters withdrew. By the middle of the decade, the organisation was struggling to maintain its activities and its visibility began to fade.
In 1989, the Annual Conference in Hannover focused on “Problems of World Industrialisation — Panacea or Nightmare?”, highlighting environmental constraints on industrial growth, the problems of industrialisation in developing countries and the essential role of energy in future world development. Participants were impressed by the gravity of the situation, prompting vice-president Ricardo Díez-Hochleitner to suggest that the Club of Rome spend 1990 reassessing its mission in the context of turbulent global change.
In 1990, Díez-Hochleitner succeeded Alexander King as president and led a reassessment of the organisation’s purpose in a world that was changing quickly. The end of the Cold War, the rise of market globalisation and growing environmental crises demanded a broader vision. This led to The First Global Revolution by Alexander King and Bertrand Schneider, a synthesis of decades of the Club of Rome’s debates. The First Global Revolution was the first report by rather than to the Club of Rome, produced after members’ views were collected via a questionnaire and intensive Council discussions held in Moscow and Santander. The report introduced the term “resolutique”, linking scientific urgency with moral duty and placing sustainability firmly within the realms of values, institutions, and long-term political design.
A silent period with overlooked contributions
Despite these achievements, the 1990s are often described as a silent period. The Club of Rome’s visibility was reduced due to leadership transitions and slower public engagement. Not all of its major contributions gained the recognition they deserved. Key reports during this period included Taking Nature Into Account (1995) edited by Wouter van Dieren, The Scandal and the Shame (1995) by Bertrand Schneider, Factor Four (1998) by Ernst von Weizsacker, Amory Lovins and Hunter Lovins, The Limits of Social Cohesion – Conflict & Mediation in Pluralist Societies (1998) by Peter L. Berger, The Employment Dilemma and the Future of Work (1996) by Orio Giarini and Patrick M. Liedtke, The Oceanic Circle – Governing the Seas as a Global Resource (1998) by Elisabeth Mann Borgese and The Capacity to Govern (2001) by Yehezkel Dror.
Structural and financial reforms also took place in the late 1990s. The Executive Committee strengthened the Club of Rome’s administrative and financial framework, appointing Eberhard von Koerber as Treasurer. The Secretariat was relocated from Paris to Hamburg in 1999, and Uwe Möller became Secretary-General, marking a shift from the Club of Romes’s historical status as a “non-organisation” toward greater efficiency and transparency.
The search for renewal
By the late 1990s and early 2000s the organisation’s difficulties became more visible. Anders Wijkman, who first attended a meeting in Buenos Aires in 1988, recalls that the Club of Rome still had a strong intellectual foundation but lacked the resources needed to function well. Internal differences and financial pressure made it difficult to publish reports or host large meetings. By the early 2000s there was even a risk that the organisation might not survive.
Yet this difficult period became a turning point. It encouraged members to reflect on the organisation’s purpose in a rapidly changing world. Growing global issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss and rising inequality showed that the ideas behind The Limits to Growth remained relevant. The Club of Rome’s systems thinking approach was needed even if its voice had grown quieter.
Laying the foundations for a new era
The lessons of the 1990s shaped the Club of Rome’s direction in the years that followed. The experience of financial struggle and reduced visibility reminded members of the importance of teamwork, inclusion and continuous renewal. It marked the shift from an older and more elite institution to a more open and global network ready to respond to the challenges of the 21st century.
The Club of Rome’s involvement in EXPO 2000 in Hanover, under President Ricardo Díez-Hochleitner, included developing the guidelines for A Path of Hope for the Global Dialogue 10, engaging UNESCO, the World Bank, and other organisations.
When new leadership took over in the 2000s efforts were made to rebuild and modernise the organisation. The Club of Rome welcomed younger and more diverse members and expanded beyond its early focus on Europe and North America. More perspectives from most of the world were included and this renewal helped the organisation connect with new conversations on sustainability, economic transformation and social justice.
Around 2001, it launched Think Tank 30 (tt30), a youth initiative that brought together young professionals and academics aged 25 to 35. Annual meetings took place in Hamburg (2001), Valencia (2002), Rome (2003), Amman (2004), and Rio de Janeiro (2005). tt30 published two books: Exploring a Worthwhile Future for All and Letter to the Future. The group explored long-term global challenges and published work that highlighted the ideas and perspectives of younger generations.
Rethinking resources, economies and social systems
Rethinking how the world manages natural resources, economies and social systems was another key focus. In 2005, Ernst von Weizsacker, Oran R. Young, Matthias Finger and Marianne Beisheim published Limits to Privatisation: How to Avoid Too Much of a Good Thing, a report to the Club of Rome critically reviewing over 50 cases worldwide and offering guidance on balancing public and private responsibilities.
Leadership transitions and global dialogue
In 2001, HRH Prince El Hassan bin Talal of Jordan was appointed president, followed by Ashok Khosla and Eberhard von Koerber becoming co-presidents in 2007, signalling a commitment to combining experience with fresh energy. That same year, the Club of Rome held a high-level conference in Germany on globalisation and the challenges ahead.
In 2008, the organisation moved its international secretariat from Hamburg to Winterthur, Switzerland. This relocation helped strengthen administrative support and opened new opportunities for partnership and visibility. Also, in June in the same year, the conference Strategies for a Sustainable Planet was held in Rome with great public and media success, marking both the centenary of Aurelio Peccei’s birth and the 40th anniversary of the Club of Rome.
Through these developments, the Club of Rome showed that its voice remained active and relevant in the ongoing global debate about the world’s future.
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