Energy and Climate Justice

We need a profound systemic transformation toward climate neutrality to achieve the climate goals in Germany and the EU. This transformation is a process that encompasses the whole of society. It is shaped by people and has impacts on society.

This raises the question of “How to design a just transformation?” At Fraunhofer ISI, we address this question from different perspectives in our key area of research, “Energy and Climate Justice”. We combine interdisciplinary methods with an integrated systems perspective from the micro to the macro level on both the supply and demand sides.

In addition, we develop application-oriented, innovative research methods and evidence-based recommendations for a socially just and inclusive energy and climate transformation.

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Distributional effects: Who bears which burdens and who benefits?
Distributional effects

"Who bears which burdens in the energy transition - who benefits from climate policy measures?"

We examine how energy and climate policy measures distribute economic and social costs unequally - across households, sectors, and regions. By combining distributional analyses across multiple system levels, we reveal where transformation pathways exacerbate socioeconomic inequalities and how to target and reduce them.

In the area of housing and energy systems, we analyze how rising energy prices, carbon pricing and changes in the electricity and heat markets have different impacts on different households. We look at the differences between tenants and property owners, between urban and rural areas, and between households with different income and consumption structures. Another focus is on the distributional effects of building renovations and the heat transition. We examine how investment costs, funding instruments, economic burdens and reliefs are distributed among different household groups and stakeholders in the public and private housing sectors, and how these amplify or reduce existing inequalities.
Projects
Vulnerability: Who is affected and how?
Vulnerability

"Who is affected by the energy transition and climate policy, and how?"

We analyze how vulnerabilities, i.e., those particularly affected and with a limited ability to adapt, arise in the context of climate change and energy transformations, and how these affect different societal groups differently. When doing so, we examine both direct burdens and how the interactions between social, economic, political and spatial factors can enhance or reduce these vulnerabilities. At the same time, we hone in on the unequal distribution of the transformation’s opportunities and advantages and ask which groups in particular stand to benefit from new technologies, funding structures, or economic changes.

Our work focuses especially on issues of actual and perceived justice in processes of transformation and structural change, and on the significance of vulnerability for social and political acceptance. In addition, we explore energy poverty and sufficiency in housing and energy, and analyze under which conditions sustainable ways of living and supply can be designed that are also socially acceptable. Our research combines intersectional perspectives, for instance, of income, gender, age or housing situation, with multi-level approaches that consider the interactions between households, infrastructures, institutions and political frameworks.
Projects
- HouseInc – Inclusive, affordable and sustainable housing for marginalized communities
- Klimabeirat Hessen (Climate Advisory Board Hesse)
Participation: Who is shaping the energy transition – how, and who for?
Participation

"Who is shaping the energy transition - how, and who for?"

We examine the conditions governing access and the obstacles to societal participationin the climate and energy transformation, in political decision-making processes, in the energy system and across new value creation and innovation structures. The core question here is which social, economic, institutional, or infrastructural factors make it easier or harder to gain access to participation, co-creation and economic opportunities. Among other things, we analyze differences in the access to information, financing options, technologies, energy infrastructure and political participation formats.

We place a particular focus on groups that have often been underrepresented in transformation processes to date or that are structurally disadvantaged. Building on this, we develop and evaluate participation and business models that enable broader societal participation. These include, for example, community energy projects, financial participation formats and local value creation models.
Projects
Social cohesion: Who supports the transformation, and who feels left behind?
Social cohesion

"Who supports the energy and climate transformation, and who feels left behind?"

We analyze how social fragmentation and transformation processes in the energy and climate sector interact. The key question concerns the conditions under which transformation processes are perceived as fair, legitimate, and socially acceptable. There is a particular focus on conflicting attitudes, social networks and socioeconomic realities. We explore how these dimensions interact and influence the scope for societal and political action in energy and climate policy.

We also analyze how trust in political, scientific and social actors is built, lost or can be enhanced, and what role communication strategies, participatory processes and institutional frameworks play in this context. Our research aims at better understanding the social conditions under which energy and climate policies can be designed to be democratically legitimate and socially acceptable in the long term.
Projects
- Panel study of mobility habits in the German states of Baden-Württemberg and Mecklen-burg-Vorpommern (MobilKULT)
- Blog post (in German): "How divided is German society – and what does this mean in terms of its willingness to embrace the energy and mobility transition?"
Policymaking: Which policy measures promote energy and climate justice?
Policymaking

"Which policy measures promote energy and climate justice, and under which societal conditions?"

A socially just energy and climate policy must respond to social realities and actively help shape them. We examine which policy instruments - from funding programs and regulations to carbon pricing and social redistribution mechanisms - are suitable for strengthening energy and climate justice. We consider societal trends such as demographic change, growing socioeconomic inequality, digitalization and shifts in lifestyles and consumption habits that significantly influence the scope for action and the effectiveness of climate policy.

A major focus is on how to design policy measures coherently so that social justice goals are systematically taken into account. We evaluate existing instruments at local, national and European levels, monitor their impacts and analyze the social and institutional conditions under which policy measures achieve or fail to achieve their goals. Based on this, we derive concrete recommendations for designing policies that treat equity goals not as a peripheral issue, but as a central prerequisite.
Projects
Publications
Breitschopf, B. (2026): Understanding the role of non-monetary aspects in promoting citizen investment for the energy transition – An exploratory approach. In: Energy Research & Social Science, 135, p. 104678.

Dütschke, E.; Kantel, A.; Tröger, J. (2025): Klimapolitik in der Krise? Mix aus harten und weichen politischen Maßnahmen als Schlüssel zu gesellschaftlicher Akzeptanz in der Energiewende. In: Zeitschrift für Energiewirtschaft, 49 (2), pp. 26–40.

Graf, A.; Kantel, A. (2025): Planning sustainable and inclusive transformation: an energy democracy perspective on urban mobility.

Bagheri, M.; Roth, L.; Siebke, L.; Rohde, C.; Linke, H.-J. (2024): Implementing housing policies for a sufficient lifestyle. In: B&C 5 (1).

Our methods

We work across disciplines using a wide variety of methods:

Interviews, focus groups, expert interviews
Surveys and statistical analyses
Co-creation workshops with citizens and practitioners
Statistical econometric methods
Modeling the energy system and buildings
Impact assessment of policy measures and innovative energy technologies
Diffusion analyses (obstacles and drivers)
Scientific support and monitoring of application and implementation pilot projects

Energy and Climate Justice

Latest news

Distributional effects: Who bears which burdens and who benefits?

Distributional effects

"Who bears which burdens in the energy transition - who benefits from climate policy measures?"

Projects

Vulnerability: Who is affected and how?

Vulnerability

"Who is affected by the energy transition and climate policy, and how?"

Projects

Participation: Who is shaping the energy transition – how, and who for?

Participation

"Who is shaping the energy transition - how, and who for?"

Projects

Social cohesion: Who supports the transformation, and who feels left behind?

"Who supports the energy and climate transformation, and who feels left behind?"

Projects

Policymaking: Which policy measures promote energy and climate justice?

Policymaking

"Which policy measures promote energy and climate justice, and under which societal conditions?"

Projects

Publications

Our methods

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Dr. Anne Kantel