SoCo projects
HIGH Horizons – Heat Indicators for Global Health Monitoring, Early Warning Systems and health facility interventions for pregnant and postpartum women, infants and young children and health workers
HIGH Horizons centres on pregnant and postpartum women, infants, and health workers, groups heavily affected by climate change. We quantify and monitor direct and indirect health impacts of extreme heat; test a personalised Early Warning System (EWS); and implement integrated adaptation-mitigation actions in health facilities. Analyses of heat impacts and data science predictive modelling using data from Sweden; Lazio Italy, and health facilities in Kenya, Zimbabwe and South Africa underpin all activities. These analyses and systematic reviews inform testing and selection of global, EU and national indicators.
Funded by Horizon Europe (project no. 101057843)
Team (Uni Graz): Ilona Otto, Katharina Wieser, Tobias Monthaler, Kehkashan Mansoor
Norm Transform: Capturing Social Tipping Dynamics of Advertisements Shaping and Mirroring Climate-Relevant Norms and Values
The per capita meat consumption in Austria is decreasing, it is far above the EU average. At the same time, Austria aims to be climate neutral by 2040, thus a decade before the EU-wide target. Despite decreasing emissions in the agricultural sector in Austria, agri-food systems are transforming far too slowly to support the EU’s progress towards climate neutrality. Consequentially, measures that help to trigger a far-reaching change in agri-food systems in the upcoming years are needed. As a response, our project proposes research on an intervention that can (i) jointly address the supply- and demand side and (ii) be quickly implemented to accelerate transformation processes toward carbon neutrality. We, thus, first used the social tipping points (STP) as a theoretical framework to identify its most relevant elements for the agri-food system transformation. We recognized norm- and value systems as suitable, given that (a) eating meat is culturally strongly embedded in Austria, and ( c) diets as a habitual behavior that does not easily change even if intentions do. To transform norms, STP proposes interventions to foster the recognition of the immorality of fossil fuels or even the overall emission of greenhouse gases. Recent findings show the visibility or invisibility of climate change in media influences the advocacy for or against fossil fuel exploitation. Our project thus proposes investigating advertisements as an intervention to transform norms based on (i) their visibility in media, (ii) their recent use as a proxy for norms, (iii) their function to induce a (consumption) behavior, (iv). They are quick to implement and stand at the interface of demand and supply. We study the social tipping dynamics of advertisements, norms, and behaviors to foster climate neutrality in agri-food systems using a complementary methodological approach consisting of quantitative experiments, agent-based models, and warm data labs, a transdisciplinary conversation practice.
Funded by the Austrian Climate and Energy Fund (project no. 913181, ACRP16).
Team (Uni Graz): Ilona Otto, Jordan Everall
RECON – Nature Reconnection for Transformation and Biodiversity
Biodiversity loss in urban and peri-urban regions is accelerating due to urbanisation, intensive recreation, climate change, and fragmented governance. At the same time, cities concentrate populations whose everyday relationships with nature strongly influence environmental awareness, behavior, and political support for conservation. Strengthening human–nature relationships, therefore, represents a key leverage point for transformative change.
RECON addresses this challenge by positioning nature reconnection - through exposure, experience, learning, and advocacy - as a driver of systemic societal transformation for biodiversity conservation. It focuses on three urban functional areas in Central Europe (Warsaw, Vienna, Stuttgart), which face high development pressure and recreational demand, but also offer strong potential for policy-relevant learning and transfer.
Funded by Biodiversa+/FWF (project no. KIN2598325).
Team (Uni Graz): Ilona Otto
SPECTRUM – Social practice changes following extreme weather
SPECTRUM investigates how communities in low- and middle-income countries respond to increasingly frequent extreme weather events and how adaptation measures and resilience can be strengthened. In two case studies in the Philippines and Mozambique it analyses changes in everyday practices to sustain livelihoods, mobility, and the use of land, energy, and resources, and identifies critical tipping dynamics. The project combines social science approaches with methods to account for physical resources (e.g., material and energy flow analyses). SPECTRUM works with local communities to incorporate their knowledge and highlight practical pathways for risk reduction and sustainable recovery. The aim is to make patterns and differences visible and to foster collaboration between science and practice.
Funded by Österreichischer Wissenschaftsfonds/FWF (projcet no. ESP1399525).
Team: Harald Grabher, Ilona Otto
Completed projects
The aim of AAR2 is to assess the state of knowledge on climate change in Austria and its consequences, as well as to identify mitigation potentials and strategies, adaptation options and transformation pathways. Gaps in knowledge are to be closed in the sense of a climate-neutral society.
SoCo has the lead for Chapter 5: Navigating Demand-side Transformations towards Net-zero.
ENBEL supports EU policy making by bringing together leaders in climate change and health research.
REBOOST aims to support stakeholders in three European lignite regions (Lusatia in Germany, Konin in Poland, and Gorj in Romania) in the transition from the current high economic dependence on lignite to a low-carbon future. The three regions share some characteristics that make the transition process difficult, including economic downturn, aging populations, lack of job opportunities, and weak stakeholder cooperation. However, the regions differ with respect to the availability of political support from governments and funding for the transition process. We will use strategic simulation techniques to involve and empower local stakeholders in the design and exploration of alternative future pathways in an interactive environment that will resemble the main socio-economic and geographical characteristics of the actual regions. The results of the simulations will be shared using an online plattorm what will stimulate mutual learning and innovation diffusion across the three regions. This exercise will also promote reskilling and formation of stakeholder coalitions for regional transformations. Where possible, the project will support the actual implementation of alternative and promising solutions to lignite-fired power generation. Building on the outcomes, promising follow up actions will be implemented with the potential to feed into a Deep Demonstration Just Transformations.
Complementary approaches including deep listening techniques and economic assessment methods will be used to fully explore the stand points, needs, and preferences of different stakeholder groups and to assess the future alternatives to lignite-fired power generation and implications for changes in the local economy and labour market. Finally, the project will explore the opportunities for increased engagement with the EU political processes and funding possibilities.