Can social policy reduce the risk of polarization over climate change mitigation? An experimental cross-country assessment

Description

Policies to halt global warming are necessary to prevent irreversible damage to the planet, but they tend to be controversial as they give rise to distributive conflicts. One prime example of this dynamic are carbon taxes, which are considered one of the most effective means to reduce carbon emissions. At the same time, they are economically regressive and often perceived as unfair. If implemented without broad public support, carbon taxes therefore risk generating polarization, social unrest and climate policy setbacks. Effective, fair, and long-term climate policy thus requires a holistic perspective where consideration of social consequences is an integral part of the policy process. Our project aims to investigate the capacity of specific welfare measures to increase public support for carbon taxation in different countries and among different social groups. To this end, we outline a country-comparative survey experiment to be implemented simultaneously in five strategically selected European countries. By leveraging the maximal differences between the welfare regimes in these five countries, the project’s results will be tailored to stakeholders and decision-makers operating in varying social and geographical contexts and thus generalizable to other countries in the region. Such knowledge is crucial for policymakers seeking to resolve the dilemma of mitigating climate change while maintaining policy legitimacy in order to set Europe on a common path towards a carbon-neutral welfare society.