Research - 06.10.2026 - 17:07
Climate Policy and Climate Justice: SEPS HSG Research on the Current Debate
Was bedeutet Klimagerechtigkeit?
Klaus Dingwerth, Professor of Political Science, presents an overview of philosophical and social-scientific debates in Klimagerechtigkeit zur Einführung (Junius Verlag, 2025). The book asks how the ideal of climate justice can be defined more precisely and what prevents societies from moving closer to it. Dingwerth also contributed his perspective at the 8th Conference on Social Work and Urban Development (10-11 September 2026, Basel and Muttenz), where academia, public administration, practitioners, and civil society came together to discuss "Shaping Climate Justice Locally
Who Drives Change?
Adrian Rinscheid, Professor of Climate Policy, researches climate and energy policy as well as political attitudes and the decision-making behavior of political actors. In the NZZ, he put the development of the Swiss climate movement into context. He expects it to play a stronger role again after the summer heatwave. At the same time, he asks whether the movement can ever command majority support, or whether protest follows a different strategic logic.
Who Pays?
Lea Fricke, PhD candidate in Economics, and Dominik Sachs, Professor of Macroeconomics and Public Finance, research CO₂ pricing, redistribution, and work incentives. In their policy brief «Pricing CO₂ – Redistributing the Revenue Right»,(German original: «CO₂ bepreisen – richtig rückverteilen») they show how CO₂ pricing can be designed to be both socially fair and efficient. Without compensation, it places a relatively heavier burden on low incomes. Rather than a flat-rate climate dividend, their research supports redistribution through the income tax. The overall package of CO₂ price and redistribution remains slightly progressive, because low-income households are relieved proportionally more. At the same time, the price signal of the CO₂ levy is preserved and work incentives are given greater weight. This is particularly timely because the current redistribution is due to end after 2030.
The Interplay Makes the Difference
What is just, who drives change, and who bears the costs are three sides of the same question. The contributions draw on research at the School of Economics and Political Science SEPS-HSG and show that only the interplay of disciplines offers a deeper understanding of how climate policy can be both effective and fair. We are glad to bring this knowledge to the debate.
