What determines support for EU-climate policy? Study reveals acceptance depends on inclusion of social policy measures

Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time, and the European Union has set itself ambitious targets to become climate-neutral by 2050. A new policy paper from the Cluster of Excellence “The Politics of Inequality” at the University of Konstanz now shows that acceptance of EU climate policy strongly depends on the inclusion of social policy measures.

“In general, the study indicates a broad basis for climate policy measures,” explains Baute. About 95% of the roughly 6,000 respondents agree that climate change is at least partly man-made, and a majority anticipate negative consequences for humanity. However, public approval of EU climate change mitigation policies heavily depends on their design features.

“Support for EU climate policy can be significantly increased when social policy measures are included,” concludes Baute. “Both low-income and high-income groups prefer policy packages with social components: For example, measures that invest in human capital—such as (re)training employees—or programs that provide subsidies for low-income households.”

The study, published in the Journal of European Public Policy, also reveals that German citizens prefer EU funds to be distributed according to the population size of EU member states rather than their greenhouse gas emissions, for example.

Overall, the results of the survey can provide important information for the successful implementation of climate policy measures. For example, they are also relevant in the context of the Building Energy Act (GEG), which took effect in January 2024. The initial draft, which overlooked key social considerations, faced considerable resistance. Only after significant revisions was the law eventually passed.