2025/02/18 by Michael Klingler, Fiona Lilith Medea de Fontana, Daniel Gerdes +3 · 1 voice
Environmental Science · Decision Sciences · #Sustainability and Climate Change Governance #demographic modeling and climate adaptation
paper · pdf · doi:10.1080/1523908x.2025.2466108
openalex publication_date 2025/02/18 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/15
Decarbonizing the building sector is a key priority in the European energy transition. To boost renovation rates and phase out fossil fuel-based heating, policies primarily target the promotion of energy efficiency. However, prioritizing technology-driven solutions for low-carbon energy transitions raises intersectional issues, risking the exacerbation of energy and housing vulnerabilities. This paper examines synergies and trade-offs between climate neutrality and social justice, advocating for deliberative democracy and participation in co-designing policy interventions. We focus on the city of Innsbruck, where rents and shares of fossil fuel-based heating systems are among the highest in Austria. Our data builds on stakeholder and policy analysis, and participatory systems mapping in the context of citizens’ deliberation panels. We identify structural conditions that increase exposure to vulnerability, particularly among tenants and low-income households. From a systemic perspective, we demonstrate how rising rents and energy costs significantly strain disposable household income and reinforce dynamics among income, stress, renunciation, and mental health. We discuss the shortcomings of a narrow policy focus on energy efficiency, which may hinder efforts to alleviate energy poverty and lead to adverse distributional impacts on vulnerable groups. Finally, we identify potential leverage points for socially just policy interventions.