The objective of the Metaforum working group on the Societal Aspects of Climate Change can be stated as follows: which societal changes are required to achieve the goals of the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change? How can policy foster these transitions, given the diversity of economic, political and cultural contexts in different countries in the world?

Current debate on the climate challenge and required solutions are often dominated by high-income country stakeholders, among them scientists, politicians, business representatives, and NGOs. Although some of the views of low-income and middle-income country actors may profoundly differ, they seem to be sharing at least a few frameworks for analysing problems and their possible solutions. Alternative perspectives and approaches, as developed in and by low-income and middle-income country actors, sometimes challenge western frameworks.

This working group endeavours to provide a basis to enable an exchange of viewpoints with international scholars from diverse non-European countries about the conditions for cultural, political and economic development, and on the challenges that climate change poses to our societies.