Green Transition Attitudes

Social Risks and Deservingness in the context of Climate Change

The “Green Transition Attitudes: Social Risks and Deservingness in the context of Climate Change” project seeks to elucidate changes in public perceptions of deservingness towards various welfare beneficiaries in Europe amid the challenges of climate change and the transition to carbon-neutral societies. The primary objective is to understand how social risks associated with climate change and transition policies are perceived and what welfare policies are likely to gain public and political acceptance, thereby enhancing their efficacy.

The project innovates social research by examining new lines of social conflicts and cleavages in a Europe confronted by climate change and NZT ambitions. Specifically, the project addresses three key research questions:

1. How are social risks related to climate change and NZT framed publicly and perceived by different social groups and individuals?

2. Who is perceived as deserving to benefit from public support in this evolving context?

3. How do public framings, group-specific, and individual perceptions of social risks and deservingness play out across different national contexts?