Fostering social learning through role-play simulations to operationalize comprehensive climate risk management: Insights from applying the RESPECT role-play in Austria

This paper describes an analytical-deliberative process, centered around the RESPECT role-play simulation, conducted to foster the operationalization of comprehensive climate risk management (CRM) in Lienz, southern Austria, a city that is representative of many alpine regions. We hypothesize that fostering social learning via participatory stakeholder engagement processes aids closing prevailing science–policy–implementation gaps in CRM, which are often a result from insufficiently clear roles and responsibilities, diverging stakeholder interests, priorities and risk perceptions, and inexistent or incipient cooperation mechanisms. To test this hypothesis, we co-developed and conducted a role-play simulation centered on riverine-flood risk—the most pressing climate-related risk in the Lienz case-study region. Based on our analysis of qualitative data gathered ex ante and ex post the intervention, we found role-play simulations to have a high potential for fostering social learning in CRM. After taking part, the diverse societal stakeholders were found to better understand: i) the interacting dimensions and drivers of riverine-flood risks; ii) the diverging risk perceptions; and iii) each other’s interests and needs in addressing such risks at the individual and institutional level. Role-play simulations are a promising transdisciplinary method for engaging societal stakeholders beyond traditional policy- and decision-making communities in informed and inclusive public debate around challenges and solutions to CRM. The methodological and practical insights gained in this Austrian case study may be transferred to the management of other climate-related risks

Economy-wide benefits and costs of local-level energy transition in Austrian Climate and Energy Model Regions

To achieve a low-carbon transition in the electricity sector, countries combine national-scale policies with regional renewable electricity (RES-E) initiatives. Taking Austria as an example, we investigate the economy-wide effects of implementing national-level feed-in tariffs alongside local-level ‘climate and energy model (CEM) regions’, taking account of policy externalities across the two governance levels. We distinguish three types of CEM regions by means of a cluster analysis and apply a sub-national Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model to investigate two RES-E scenarios. We find that whether the net economic effects are positive or negative depends on three factors: (i) RES-E potentials, differentiated by technology and cluster region; (ii) economic competitiveness of RES-E technologies relative to each other and to the current generation mix; and (iii) support schemes in place which translate into policy costs. We conclude that the focus should mainly be on economically competitive technologies, such as PV and wind, to avoid unintended macroeconomic side-effects. To achieve that, national support policies for RES-E have to be aligned with regional energy initiatives

Europe (Chapter 13)

Our current 1.1°C warmer world is already affecting natural and human systems in Europe (very high confidence1). Since AR5, there has been a substantial increase in detected or attributed impacts of climate change in Europe, including extreme events (high confidence). Impacts of compound hazards of warming and precipitation have become more frequent (medium confidence). Climate change has resulted in losses of, and damages to, people, ecosystems, food systems, infrastructure, energy and water availability, public health and the economy (very high confidence)

Multiple carbon accounting to support just and effective climate policies

Negotiating reductions in greenhouse gas emission involves the allocation of emissions and of emission reductions to specific agents, and notably, within the current UN framework, to associated countries. As production takes place in supply chains,increasingly extending over several countries, there are various options available in which emissions originating from one and the same activity may be attributed to different agents along the supply chain and thus to different countries. In this way, several distinct types of national carbon accounts can be constructed. We argue that these accounts will typically differ in the information they provide to individual countries on the effects their actions have on global emissions; and they may also, to varying degrees, prove useful in supporting the pursuit of an effective and just climate policy. None of the accounting systems, however, prove 'best' in achieving these aims under real-world circumstances; we thus suggest compiling reliable data to aid in the consistent calculation of multiple carbon accounts on a global level

Mental representations of animal and plant species in their social contexts: Results from a survey across Europe

Despite a growing body of literature on public views on biodiversity and nature, our understanding of public attitudes towards animal and plant species is still rudimentary. This study investigates mental representations, constituted by beliefs, of three types of species (a large mammal, a spider and a non-native plant), and explores their links with cultural factors such as value orientations and cultural capital, in order to better understand attitudes towards these species. We conducted a survey in eight sites across Europe (n = 2378) and found strong relationships between beliefs about species, in particular with regard to their harmlessness, value and previous population change, and the desirability of an increase in this species. Other beliefs, such as perceived nativeness, were less influential. We discuss how respondents combined beliefs to mental representations of species, and show how representations are related to species-independent factors that tap respondents' cultural context, such as socially shared value orientations and education