Green Subsidies and the Promotion of Eco-Social Policy in Germany and the United States

• 成果类型: Article; Early Access
• 署名作者: Bender, Benedikt; Kinderman, Daniel
• 署名单位: Goethe University Frankfurt; University of Delaware
• 刊物名称: REGULATION & GOVERNANCE
• ISSN/ISSBN: 1748-5983
• DOI: 10.1111/rego.70087
• 发表日期: 2025
• 关键词: coalitions; TRANSITION; POLITICS; energy; unions; LABOR

摘要

The climate crisis poses an acute threat to humanity. Eco-social policy can help mitigate this threat, but eco-social policy and the green transition are expensive. Our paper contributes to a better understanding of the role that green subsidies play in advancing eco-social politics and policies. We assert that green subsidies increase the political viability of eco-social policies. Green subsidies lead trade unions and business organizations to support eco-social policies, regardless of institutional differences. We illustrate these positive-sum effect dynamics with a most different systems design that compares green subsidies and eco-social policies in Germany (subsidies, qualification and training measures, coal phase-out strategy, green housing) with the United States (climate-related tax credits, Inflation Reduction Act, and green housing). Based on a content analysis of documents and interviews, our comparison of business organizations and unions in both countries reveals strong and broad support for green subsidies in combination with eco-social policies. We also discuss the second Trump administration and suggest that green subsidies help advance the green transformation in the face of significant political adversity.