Climate change in focus: Fighting for social justice and change!

Climate change in focus: Fighting for social justice and change!

Society is currently going through a profound transformation process that is putting the areas of economy and sustainability at the center. The debate series #econ4future faces the economic challenges and discusses possible solutions for a sustainable economy. An important part of this series is the cooperation with Economists for Future e.V., which has existed since September 2019. New editions are published every year and deal with different topics.

The current seventh edition addresses social security in the context of the climate crisis and economic transformation. The authors, Dennis Eversberg and Matthias Schmelzer, professors of environmental sociology and social-ecological transformation research, discuss how social division and authoritarian-nationalist tendencies can be counteracted. These debates are particularly important in view of the increasing attacks on climate policy, especially on the planned phase-out of combustion engines from 2035. Political actors such as the AfD, the Union and IG Metall are calling for more flexible CO₂ rules to protect jobs.

Climate policy and social justice

A recent survey from 2021 shows that society is not polarized, but consists of different factions that have different views on social-ecological transformation. The previous deal between politicians and the middle class of society is no longer tenable, and the traffic light coalition is forced to react to divergent interpretations of progress. This has led to a new defense consensus that aims to depolarize climate policy and maintain the status quo.

A central problem is that climate policy has not been sufficiently treated as a social justice issue. In order to get out of the current impasse, it is crucial that climate policy is designed honestly and realistically. What is required is an understanding of climate policy as a social infrastructure policy, although necessary investments are hardly possible under the debt brake. Proposals for redistribution from top to bottom and from private to public are being discussed to address resistance from both socially disadvantaged and wealthy sections.

Approaches to overcoming the challenges

In order to gain approval in society, it must be ensured that new forms of ownership also mean participation. Examples of successful remunicipalization and communally organized ownership can serve as positive examples. It remains to be hoped that the social mentality change from preserving vested interests to a common transformation will happen soon.

Other areas, such as gaming and social interactions, show how communities can function even in such times. Platforms like Discord provide opportunities to stay connected, play and spend time together. This type of connectivity could provide additional support today as society moves towards a more sustainable future.