Climate Policy Attitudes and Pro-Environmental Behaviour: The Role of Intergenerational Relationships (CLINT) 


This interdisciplinary research project with Valeria Bordone explores attitudes towards climate policy and pro-environmental behaviour across age, gender and education in a cross-country comparative perspective. Drawing on insights from Political Science, Social Demography, and Gerontology, we investigate the role of family ties and intergenerational relationships in moderating the socio-ecological transformation related to climate change. We conduct a novel cross-national survey in three European countries characterised by different family roles, policy contexts and climate conditions (Austria, Italy and Sweden). The quantitative analyses on these data are combined with investigations of existing international survey data (SHARE and SOEP). 
The project sheds light on the mechanisms through which (grand)children may influence climate-related attitudes and pro-environmental behaviour of their (grand)parents. Furthermore, the impact of temporal discounting and present bias on support for climate policies and pro-environmental behaviour is investigated. The results generate insights into the dynamics of socio-ecological change providing evidence-based recommendations for policymakers seeking to address climate change in ageing societies. Duration: 2025-2027Funding: LIFT_C (Johannes Kepler University Linz)Total amount: 249,525 EUR 

Democratic Governance of Funded Pension Schemes (DEEPEN)

This project with Karen Anderson, Juan Fernández and Natascha van der Zwan investigates the democratic governance of capital-funded occupational pension schemes across six European countries: Austria, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Spain. The growing role of funded pensions raises pressing questions about democratic legitimacy, as decision-making increasingly shifts to private financial actors who often operate beyond public accountability and escape democratic control.
The project explores how national policies and individual occupational pension schemes shape participant involvement in pension scheme governance (input legitimacy) and whether these schemes deliver outcomes aligned with the preferences of their members (output legitimacy). The selected countries vary significantly in their pension system design, allowing for a rich comparative analysis of the challenges and potentials for democratic control in capital-funded pensions. The project combines comparative case studies based on expert interviews and document analysis with quantitative analyses of existing datasets and a novel online survey. Duration: 2020-2023Funding: New Opportunities for Research Funding Agency Cooperation in Europe (NORFACE) / Austrian Science Fund (FWF) Total amount: 812,687 EUR 

Sustainability through occupational pension schemes? The influence of codetermination actors on investment strategies 

[Nachhaltigkeit durch betriebliche Altersversorgung? Der Einfluss von Akteuren der Mitbestimmung auf Anlagestrategien]

This research project with Karen Anderson and Natascha van der Zwan investigates the role of codetermination actors—such as trade unions and employee representatives—in shaping sustainable investment practices within occupational pension schemes. With pension fund assets in the EU reaching €6.9 trillion in 2018 (OECD), the question of how these funds are invested has far-reaching implications for achieving a more just, social, and ecologically sustainable society.The project explores 1) What influence do codetermination actors have on investment decisions in occupational pension schemes? 2) To what extent are sustainability criteria such as ESG considered in these investment decisions? 3) Do the preferences articulated at the beginning of the investment chain align with the actual investment outcomes? These questions are particularly relevant for Germany, where occupational pensions are gaining importance. By comparing Germany with the Netherlands and Denmark—two countries characterized by near-universal occupational pension coverage, strong trade union involvement, and significant sustainable investment activity—the project generates insights and policy recommendations enhancing sustainability-oriented governance of pension funds. The research combines a comprehensive review of the existing literature with the analysis of documents and statistical data. In-depth case studies of selected occupational pension schemes in all three countries are conducted, including expert interviews to uncover the mechanisms and challenges of aligning codetermination, sustainability, and financial investment.Duration: 2021-2023Funding: Hans-Böckler-Stiftung (HBS)Total amount: 328,798 EUR 

Pension Funds and Sustainable Investment: Comparing Regulation in the Netherlands, Denmark, and Germany

This research project with Karen Anderson and Natascha van der Zwan investigates how different regulatory frameworks shape sustainable investment practices in occupational pension schemes in the Netherlands, Denmark, and Germany. Sustainable investments have gained prominence in European pension fund strategies. However, significant national differences remain in the extent and character of sustainable investments. This project explores how national regulation fosters or limits these investments, using a broad conception of regulation that includes 1) national legislation, 2) regulation by supervisory agencies, and 3) self-regulation within the pension fund sector itself. We focus on three specific regulatory dimensions influencing sustainable investments: corporate governance rules (e.g., ESG-related voting rights), investment regulations (e.g., restrictions or mandates on certain asset classes), and fiduciary duties of pension trustees.
By situating the regulatory framework within broader political-economic contexts across the three countries, the project links sustainable finance to debates on the financialisation of retirement provision and the role of pension funds in promoting long-term, socially responsible economic development. The research contributes to comparative political economy and sustainability scholarship by identifying which institutional and regulatory settings enable pension funds to effectively channel capital towards sustainability-aligned goals.Duration: 2018-2019Funding: Network for Studies on Pensions, Aging and Retirement (NETSPAR)Total amount: 20,000 EUR 

The Politics of Occupational Welfare

This research project examines the growing role of occupational welfare in European social policy and its implications for social inequality. While many public welfare systems have experienced retrenchment due to fiscal and demographic pressures, employer-financed benefits have expanded—often voluntarily and unevenly across sectors. This raises important questions about how occupational welfare develops and whether it contributes to dualisation by linking benefits to employment conditions.The project investigates what drives the growth and institutional design of occupational welfare, focusing on the role of social partners and sectoral dynamics. It contrasts two policy fields: pensions, as a rather “old” policy field where occupational schemes often substitute public benefits, and family policy, as a “younger” policy field, where occupational provisions tend to be supplementary. Emphasis is placed on collective and sector-level arrangements to enhance comparability.
Using a comparative approach, the study analyses 1) four countries—Austria, Denmark, Italy, and the UK—representing diverse welfare and industrial relations regimes, and 2) a selection of sectors in each country with variance in employee skills (high-general, low-general, specific) and form of social partnerships (strong and weak). Three steps structure the research design: 1) Country-level case studies of the public-private mix, 2) cross-sectoral analysis within countries, and 3) sectoral comparison across countries. The project applies both qualitative (e.g., document analysis) and quantitative methods (using European survey data). Duration: 2013-2016Funding: Austrian Science Fund (FWF)Total amount: 154,540 EUR