01/16/2026

Shaping climate change in a socially responsible manner

Insights from Dr Brigitte Knopf at the ‘Treffpunkt Transformation’ event

As part of the event series “Treffpunkt Transformation – Zukunftswissen im ifeu” (Meeting Point Transformation – Future Knowledge at ifeu), Dr. Brigitte Knopf, founder of the think tank “Zukunft KlimaSozial” (Future Climate Social) in Berlin, spoke about the central importance of socially just climate policy. In her presentation, she made it clear that climate protection and social policy must be considered together from the outset – especially in the areas of housing, energy and mobility, which have a profound impact on people's lives.

Based on current analyses, Dr Knopf showed that lower-income households suffer more from the consequences of climate change and rising energy prices, while often benefiting less from climate policy support instruments. Her central message was that a forward-looking climate social policy should therefore be based on four pillars:

• the expansion of public infrastructure,
• socially differentiated support programmes,
• smart regulation, and
• the option of a socially graded climate allowance.

The Climate and Transformation Fund must also be more socially oriented in order to finance the transformation fairly.

We would like to thank Dr Brigitte Knopf for her insightful contributions and the participants, both in person and online, for their lively discussion. The event impressively demonstrated the potential of a socially oriented climate policy for social cohesion and a successful transition.

Missed the presentation? Watch the recording on YouTube

Next event in the series ‘Meeting Point Transformation – Future Knowledge at ifeu’:
Thursday, 26 February: ‘Climate change under pressure: Social dynamics between engagement and backlash’

Prof. Dr. Stefan Cihan Aykut, University of Hamburg | Mercator Endowed Chair for Sociology

Registration and further information