DESIGNING WELFARE SYSTEMS FOR A 1.5° FUTURE

In sustainability debates, policymakers and commentators often treat social and environmental outcomes as separate, if not conflicting, objectives (Fritz & Koch, 2019; Otto & Gugushvili, 2020). This inhibits the pursuit of sustainability goals and limits efforts to increase wellbeing for all while meeting climate mitigation targets. It is thus critically important to identify synergies across welfare and climate policies and develop a joint approach to socio-ecological problems. This policy brief presents welfare policies that have been identified as potential solutions for improving equality and wellbeing while reducing carbon emissions. The list of policies was informed by an extensive literature review and expert consultation carried out within the European Horizon 2020 project “EU 1.5° Lifestyles”. Working time reduction (WTR) and universal basic services (UBS), in particular, emerged as highly desirable and feasible policy solutions. These options are fundamental for achieving the objectives of the Paris Agreement and the EU Green Deal while limiting the
risks of social tensions.