We are pleased to announce the publication of our new paper "The 'glass ceiling' of Germany's socio-ecological transformation: Citizen, expert and local stakeholder perspectives on responsibility for change", published in the Zeitschrift für Politikwissenschaft (ZPol).
In our research, we aimed to investigate the 'glass ceiling' of the environmental state that limits Germany's transition to socio-ecological sustainability. We gathered insights from a diverse group of participants, including citizens, experts and local stakeholders, through workshops, interviews and collaborative discussions, as part of the EU 1.5° Lifestyles project.
The key findings highlight significant structural and psychological barriers to real change in Germany:
- Both citizens and experts identified the economic growth paradigm as one of the main barriers to a sustainability transition. The focus on growth conflicts with the goal of reducing resource consumption and environmental impacts, making it difficult to implement the necessary systemic changes.
- While individuals are concerned about sustainability, there is widespread agreement that real change must come from government and major structural reforms. Experts emphasised that current policies often place too much responsibility on individuals as consumers, rather than enabling broader, systemic solutions.
- Many participants expressed reluctance to make significant lifestyle changes, such as reducing car use, eating less meat or giving up flying. Psychological barriers - such as concerns about convenience, comfort and social norms - were often cited as reasons for rejecting deeper, more impactful changes. You can read more about this in our other published paper.
- There was consensus across all stakeholder groups that transformative change requires more coherent and ambitious government action. This includes the introduction of stronger policies such as bans, taxes and incentives to encourage sustainable choices. There was also a call for more grassroots activism and citizens' assemblies to build political momentum.
- Social inequality emerged as a key issue in the discussions. Low-income groups often bear the brunt of climate impacts while having fewer resources to take part in more sustainable but expensive basic consumption. To address this, social justice must be integrated into sustainability policies to ensure that the transition is fair and inclusive.
Our paper concludes that breaking the 'glass ceiling' will require a comprehensive overhaul of the current socio-economic system, prioritising sustainability over growth. We call for a reimagined framework of state responsibility, greater citizen participation and deeper cultural shifts in attitudes towards consumption and well-being.
You can read the full paper here:
Kreinin, H., Mamut, P., & Fuchs, D. (2024). The ‘glass ceiling’ of Germany’s socio-ecological transformation: Citizen, expert, and local stakeholder perspectives on responsibility for change. Zeitschrift für Politikwissenschaft, 34, 273–293. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41358-024-00383-9
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