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Research findings show broad public support – Clear call for policymakers to enable and promote sustainable lifestyles
Against a backdrop of mounting geopolitical tensions and a deepening climate crisis, a new policy brief urges that climate policy be firmly embedded in European security strategy. The report, Mainstreaming 1.5° Lifestyles: Sustainable Security through Climate Action, was released today by the Research Institute for Sustainability (RIFS) at the GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences as part of the EU research project “1.5° Lifestyles.”
The policy brief’s key message is that people across Europe are willing to embrace significant lifestyle changes – provided that policies are fair, reliable, and ambitious.
With political debates currently focused on economic growth, industrial competitiveness, and defense, the policy brief warns that sidelining climate action risks undermining Europe’s long-term resilience, stability, and democracy. Its central argument is unequivocal: Climate policy is not a luxury – rather, it is a cornerstone of lasting security.
“Economic and military security are essential,” says Professor Doris Fuchs, Scientific Director at the Research Institute for Sustainability. “But if we fail to address climate change and environmental degradation now, we risk eroding the very foundations of peace and prosperity. A realistic concept of security must also include climate resilience, social justice, and respect for planetary boundaries.”
Widespread support for greater ambition
Contrary to the widespread assumption that most people are unwilling to make far-reaching changes to their lifestyles, the findings of the EU project 1.5° Lifestyles tell a different story: In all of the countries surveyed, citizens are in favour of ambitious measures – so long as they are fair and effective. What is needed are clear policies that curb climate-damaging consumption, distribute responsibility fairly, and make sustainable alternatives more attractive.
Voluntary action is no longer enough. The report calls for targeted regulation of high-emission sectors such as fossil-fuel vehicles, excessive meat consumption, inefficient heating systems, luxury emissions, and frequent short-haul flights. At the same time, steps must be taken to ensure that climate-friendly alternatives – from public transport and heat pumps to plant-based diets – are the easier, more affordable, and more attractive choice.
Germany in focus: Some progress despite opposition
The policy brief presents a mixed picture for Germany. Significant investment in public infrastructure, particularly in housing and mobility, is urgently needed. While heat pumps enjoy broad public support, there is far less willingness to reduce living space, which averaged 45 square metres per person in 2015 and continues to rise.
One of the most striking findings is the strong rejection of electric vehicles – which is significantly more pronounced than in other countries studied, such as Spain, Sweden, Latvia, and Hungary. This is probably due not least to the influential German automotive industry. In 2015, Germany also recorded the highest average per capita emissions among the countries analysed, at 9.5 tonnes of CO₂e per capita, a figure that underscores the need for bold and consistent policy action.
Continued investment in natural gas extraction runs counter to Germany’s stated climate policy goals. What is needed now are political instruments that actively enable sustainable lifestyles and decisively curb unsustainable practices.
Six key policy recommendations
The policy paper based on the results of the study formulates six specific recommendations for action:
1. Integrate lifestyles into climate policy
National and EU climate strategies must go beyond technical fixes and directly tackle consumption patterns that are harmful to the climate.
2. Make sustainability the standard
Governments should invest heavily in public infrastructure, such as affordable public transport, energy-efficient housing, and sustainable food systems.
3. Make justice a guiding principle
Regulations must ensure social balance and enable participation. Climate policies must ensure social equity and enable broad participation.
4. Demonstrate consistency
Half-hearted signals and vague legislation erode public trust.
5. Redefine well-being
Progress should be measured not by GDP, but by health, justice and social cohesion.
6. Strengthen democratic participation
Citizens want to help shape change. Transparent, inclusive decision-making processes are key to building lasting public support.
Scientists back push for approach
More than 500 scientists recently met in Lund, Sweden, to discuss ways to advance socio-ecological transformations. In his keynote, sustainability expert Tim Jackson stressed that a liveable future is within our reach – one that benefits both people and the planet. However, achieving it requires a fundamental shift away from growth as the dominant policy goal.
About the EU 1.5° Lifestyles project
Over the past four years, the project has provided valuable insights into sustainable living and concrete opportunities for action to achieve climate targets. With a focus on mobility, housing, nutrition and leisure, the studies prepared through the project offer practicable solutions that are tailored to the needs of the five countries analysed. In the final year of the project, the focus is on developing targeted recommendations together with stakeholders and providing practical tools for change.
Prof. Dr. Doris Fuchs
doris.fuchs@rifs-potsdam.de
Policy Brief: Mainstreaming 1.5° Lifestyles: Sustainable Security through Climate Action https://onepointfivelifestyles.eu/sites/default/files/attachment/2025-04/PB%207%...
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