Climate & Environment
Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE)
Definition
The social and solidarity economy encompasses enterprises and organisations — cooperatives, mutual benefit societies, associations, foundations and social enterprises — that produce goods and services while pursuing social and environmental objectives, democratic governance and the primacy of people and social purpose over capital. Recognised by the ILO (including a 2022 International Labour Conference resolution), the SSE employs tens of millions worldwide and is seen as an institutional vehicle for decent work, inclusion and local resilience.
References
This reference provides supporting context for how “Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE)” is defined and used.
Source imported for editorial provenance.
Overview
How it is used
The concept structures cooperative development policy, social enterprise law, community wealth building, and localisation strategies for the SDGs.
Why it matters
The SSE demonstrates at scale that economies can be organised around need and solidarity — the working alternative to the assumption that profit-maximising firms are the only firms.