Low-carbon transition in Austria: Exploring social, financial and ethical dimensions of ambitious climate policy

Ambitious climate change mitigation policies will require substantial cuts in greenhouse gas emissions. If taken seriously, these policies will radically transform energy systems, economic circumstances and eventually impact social systems. Although the overall long-term impacts of such policies are expected to be positive, there will also be adverse effects (particularly in the short term), and it is likely that neither the benefits nor the costs will be distributed equitably. The implementation of ambitious climate policies is thus inherently linked with issues of social fairness and equity, and requires strategies that allow for dealing with vulnerable groups and potentially adverse impacts.

The key objectives of this project are to explore the structure of adverse social effects of ambitious climate policy in Austria and to develop strategies to mitigate them. The project moves beyond traditional financial considerations and explicitly considers non-financial impacts. We will analyze currently planned and discussed climate policies, identify vulnerable groups, and examine the adverse effects that these groups potentially face by means of methods from economics, social sciences and philosophy (discourse analysis, CGE modeling, Q-sorting, discrete choice experiments, normative assessments).