The study ‘Cornerstones of Socially Just Environmental and Climate Policy’ outlines various social aspects of environmental policy. Households with higher incomes generally have a comparatively larger CO2 footprint and exhibit higher resource consumption, while those from poorer households have a higher likelihood of being affected by environmental burdens—they are more likely, for example, to live on busy roads with high levels of noise and air pollution. Environmental policy measures can also have unintended social consequences.
UBA President Dirk Messner emphasises: ‘Environmental and climate protection must be feasible and affordable for everyone. A socially just environmental policy is the key to a successful ecological transformation of our society. Only when we enable everyone to participate can we achieve our ambitious environmental and climate goals.’
The study sets out key principles for a socially just environmental policy. This type of policy should generate the greatest possible social benefit, distribute costs and burdens fairly, address structural causes of high resource consumption and empower people across all sections of society to actively participate. The study also looks at the costs and benefits of environmental policy, as well as what enables people to act in environmentally friendly ways and how they can participate in environmental policymaking processes.
The study proposes policies designed to relieve low- to middle-income households from associated burdens, these include:
- direct grants for climate-friendly heating systems, building renovations or electric vehicles, financed through revenues generated by CO₂ pricing.
- the expansion of local public transport and the introduction of a discounted Deutschlandticket for low-income groups
- additional offers for targeted energy-saving advice for households
- direct financial support where adaptation to additional burdens is not possible, for example through the introduction of a socially graduated climate allowance
The UBA will incorporate the study’s findings into its future work and will conduct further research projects on specific topics such as climate-friendly, affordable nutrition and housing.
Further information: The study was conducted as part of a research project for the UBA on the social aspects of environmental policy. The project was carried out by a consortium consisting of Öko-Institut e.V., the Forum Ökologisch-Soziale Marktwirtschaft (FÖS), and the Institute for Social-Ecological Research (ISOE). Additional publications from this project are available on the UBA’s topic page, ‘Shaping environmental policy in a socially responsible way’
