Ansätze und Aussichten einer sozial-ökologischen Transformation: Was verändert die Corona-Krise?

Multiple crises threaten the reproductive capacity of the environment and society. Whether these crises will be solved within the framework of a synergetic solution strategy, or as competing issues, or not at all, is just as unclear as their interactions with the Corona crisis. Recent propositions have been put forward to tackle the crises by way of New Deal policies, which stand for comprehensive political reforms with a caring ambition. However, initiatives such as the European Green Deal and the Green New Deal differ considerably, e. g. in the roles they attribute to coordination by markets and to economic growth. This article reviews the potential of these approaches and their acceptability from the perspective of a population facing existential socio-economic risks under the effects of the Corona pandemic. Recent surveys show that although the majority are aware of the general need for ecological reform, a decisive factor for this kind of consciousness seems to be not so much the level of prosperity, but the maintenance of the basic functioning of life. This underscores the relevance of politically combining ecological and social elements, and also indicates the possibility of a society that respects both ecological boundaries and social standards.