Social Sustainability Barometer of Transformation

The sustainability transition is an all-of-society endeavour that demands the broad support and active participation of the public. Transforming our energy supply and consumption is a particularly important milestone on the path to a climate-neutral future. The vast majority of the German public perceive climate change as a serious threat and attach considerable importance to climate protection. However, the energy transition is increasingly impacting everyday life, and recent studies have flagged growing social tensions and local conflicts. Concerns are mounting about the potentially disruptive impacts of measures and the accelerating pace of change. Consequently, it is more important than ever to understand how the transition can be fashioned in a manner that is socially acceptable and transparent. This is precisely where the Social Sustainability Barometer of Transformation comes in.

Since 2017, RIFS has been developing an empirically-based knowledge base that captures the attitudes, perceptions, and experiences of different population groups in Germany. The Social Sustainability Barometer of Transformation fosters a deeper understanding of the challenges, risks, and opportunities inherent to this change process, enabling informed decision-making and facilitating the development of measures that are tailored to local contexts. This is especially important because the necessary changes are increasingly impacting people’s daily lives, challenging ingrained habits, established mindsets, and fundamental needs. Ambitious measures are far more likely to secure broad support when they are informed by a thorough understanding of public values and circumstances on the ground. The project addresses this gap by providing a comprehensive assessment of public perceptions of Germany’s transformation towards sustainability.

The project tracks public acceptance of the sustainability transition to inform the development of feasible policies for a competitive, sustainable, and inclusive energy future, particularly given current social and economic challenges. To achieve this, researchers systematically investigate the attitudes, expectations, and assessments of the German public regarding this transition. This research seeks to understand which measures are likely to gain acceptance or encounter resistance, and which compromises are realistically achievable and acceptable to respondents.

The Barometer highlights key areas for action to ensure a socially sustainable energy transition. It identifies progress and setbacks, and analyses the associated political and societal constraints and options for action. The central empirical basis is an annual panel survey of 6,500 respondents.

How our society views sustainable change

In a three-year project in collaboration with the Bertelsmann Foundation, RIFS will conduct a comprehensive longitudinal survey, mapping the German public’s attitudes, concerns, and expectations in relation to the sustainability transition. This survey captures both broad perspectives and support for specific policy reforms. The extensive data collected – including socio-demographic information, psychological traits, behavioural patterns, and general attitudes toward democracy and the political system – allows researchers to identify and better understand key factors influencing evaluations of sustainable change. Detailed analyses across different population groups and regions are also possible.

This nationally representative panel survey builds upon the findings of the Social Sustainability Barometer 2017-2019 and 2021-2023, offering a deeper understanding of citizens' perceptions of the social sustainability of the transformation and how those attitudes evolve over time. From 2026 to 2028, 6,500 individuals will be surveyed annually. The research team will refine the survey instrument to reflect current climate and economic policy debates., with a particular focus on the energy, transport, and heating transitions, as change in these sectors will most directly impact people’s daily lives.