The book “Klimasoziale Politik” (climate social politics) takes a critical look at climate and social policy developments in Austria in recent decades. It shows that the climate crisis is also a social crisis: the advancing climatic changes primarily have a negative impact on people with low incomes. They are unable to make individual adaptation efforts and often live in regions (both globally and locally) that are particularly affected by rising average temperatures and the impacts of the climate crisis. In the field of climate policy, however, the social crisis is currently mostly discussed only at the level of compensation payments or as a hindrance to effective climate policy measures. 

This is where climate social politics comes in to propose a new narrative, namely that social progress can be achieved with a simultaneous reduction of CO2 emissions. Climate social politics thus claims to enable a fundamental improvement of our lives on both a social and a climate policy level. It discusses concrete measures to shape a socially just and ecologically sustainable society. The areas include not only basic human needs such as health, housing or nutrition. Gender justice, inclusion, care, abundance and a future-oriented state budget are also central topics of the book. Climate social politics combines contributions that point out ways out of the ecological and social impasse. The book defines fundamental terms, illustrates different approaches and describes socially and ecologically desirable political steps soberly and without alarmism.

The book is in German. It was published end of 2021. Hendrik Theine who joined us recently as Researcher, was active on the editors’ staff. He co-authored also a contribution.

Link here to the publisher’s site.