Climate policy that includes everyone – How can we achieve socially just climate action in Hamburg?
Hamburg can only achieve its more ambitious climate targets if climate protection and social justice are consistently considered together – and this is precisely where the Climate Advisory Board’s new statement “Social Acceptability of Hamburg’s Climate Policy” comes in.
The statement makes it clear: Climate protection must contend with an urban society where starting points are highly unequal. Those particularly affected include low-income households, people living in unrenovated rented flats, single parents, older people and those with reduced mobility – they often have less financial leeway and fewer options for responding to price and structural changes.
The Climate Advisory Board therefore recommends identifying the specific needs of these groups in a targeted manner and translating them into packages of measures. Proposals include specific opportunities for participation, a Citizens’ Climate Assembly with strong representation of vulnerable groups, and the incorporation of their perspectives into the districts’ climate protection strategies. This shifts the focus: away from a blanket notion of ‘being affected’ towards an active role for these groups as co-shapers of Hamburg’s climate policy.
How can this socially just climate policy be concretely embedded in urban society? The Hamburg Sustainability Forum picks up on this very point with its climate roundtable. Under the title “Climate policy that includes everyone – How can socially just climate protection succeed in Hamburg?”, the Climate Working Group invites participants to an open discussion on 7 May 2026.
Dr Philine Gaffron (Hamburg Climate Advisory Board & Project Manager for Mobility and Health, Agora Verkehrswende) and Prof. Dr Simon Güntner (Hamburg Climate Advisory Board & Professor of Social Sciences & Social Policy at HAW Hamburg) will present the Hamburg Climate Advisory Board’s latest statement on the social sustainability of Hamburg’s climate policy. Following the presentation of the key recommendations and aspects from the report, there will be ample opportunity for discussion and exchange.
Among other things, the following questions will be discussed:
- How can Hamburg’s climate policy be designed in a socially equitable manner?
- How can particular consideration be given to vulnerable groups?
- How can opportunities for participation be structured so that all voices are heard?
The event will take place online via Zoom. Participation is free of charge; no registration is required. The session will be moderated by Daniel Eckert (NFH Secretariat).
The Climate Roundtable sees itself as a low-threshold discussion forum for anyone in Hamburg interested in sustainability, bringing together scientific recommendations, practical experiences and everyday perspectives. It thus offers a suitable framework for further developing key recommendations from the Climate Advisory Board – ranging from greater consideration of vulnerable groups to the design of equitable forms of participation – and translating them into concrete local initiatives.
Meeting ID: 610 1657 6382
Passcode: 059493
Background: Climate action through citizens' assemblies?