General information
Code: N5-0352
Period: 1.5.2024 - 30.4.2027
Project leader at FDV: izr.prof.dr. Maša Filipovič Hrast
Research activity: Social sciences
Abstract
Transformative decarbonisation action towards a ‘net zero transition’ (NZT) is essential to prevent worst climate changes. However, this and climate change itself may exacerbate social risks, especially for disadvantaged people and regions. Providing sustainable welfare – i.e. balancing human needs and environmental limits – adds to existing pressure on welfare states. In this context, new social conflicts and cleavages could develop in Europe, requiring a revision of current deservingness theory. The GreTA – Green Transition Attitudes: Social Risks and Deservingness in context of Climate Change project addresses this issue and seeks to create knowledge about how social risks related to climate change and NZT are discussed in media and perceived by different social groups and individuals. It also wants to contribute tounderstanding of what makes people perceive different beneficiaries of public support addressing these risks as more or less deserving, and how such perceptions are justified. The research will be conducted in three European countries – Belgium, Germany, and Slovenia – which share equity as the fundamental redistribution principle in their welfare systems. It is assumed that this principle also prevails in welfare policies addressing social risks related to climate change and NZT and leads to similar media framings and public opinions across the three cases. However, we also expect to find divergence due to different structural conditions and context-specific NZT pathways. The ultimate aim is to know what makes certain policies more acceptable, and hence more effective.
The phases of the project and their realization
WP 1 – Media Analysis. Objective – analysis of media discussions on deservingness and social justice
In this project, we investigate how social risks associated with climate change are understood by various social actors and the public, which social groups are perceived as more vulnerable, and what arguments regarding merit are presented. Specifically, WP1 examined how eco-social risks are portrayed in the media, which social groups are identified as vulnerable, and what the criteria for merit are. The work package analyzed media articles collected between September 1, 2023, and September 1, 2024, based on agreed-upon keywords. In the German case, the sample includes articles from TAZ (Die Tageszeitung) and FAZ (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung). In Slovenia, the newspapers Delo and Večer were included. For Belgium, the media selection includes La Libre (LL) and Le Soir (LS) from the French-language press in Wallonia, and De Standaard (DS) and Het Laatste Nieuws (HLN) from the Dutch-language press in Flanders.
WP 2 – Focus Groups. Objective – analysis of arguments regarding deservingness and social justice among different social groups
WP 2 aims to examine the perception of social risks and at-risk groups in relation to climate change, as well as the reasons and justifications for deservingness among various socio-economic groups in Belgium, Slovenia, and Germany. To this end, focus groups were organized in all three countries; specifically, six focus groups were organized per country with 6–8 participants per group, with the composition of the groups divided according to socioeconomic status (low, middle, and high) and political orientation (liberal and conservative), as each group represents a specific combination of status and political orientation. Additional attention was paid to ensuring a balanced gender, age, and geographic composition of the sample.
WP 3 – Representative population survey. Objective – analysis of public attitudes toward climate change and the needs of vulnerable groups
WP3 follows WP1 and WP2 chronologically, as the individual survey instruments were designed based on data obtained from WP1 and WP2, specifically the vignettes. Through the survey of the general population in this work package, we investigate individual perceptions of social risks, at-risk groups, and vulnerability in the context of climate change.
Research Organisation
https://cris.cobiss.net/ecris/si/en/project/21192
Researchers
https://cris.cobiss.net/ecris/si/en/project/21192
Citations for bibliographic records
https://cris.cobiss.net/ecris/si/en/project/21192
Results / Key findings
More information at offical webpage of the project: https://greentransitionattitudes.com/
Key words
climate change, deservingness, green transition, redistributive justice, social risks, welfare state attitudes
Sustainable Development Goals
SDG13 | Climate action
SDG16 | Peace, justice and strong intitutions
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