When formulating climate policy, too little attention is paid to social factors and too much to technological breakthroughs and economic reasons. Because citizens are hardly heard in this process, European governments risk losing public support at a crucial moment in the climate debate. This is the conclusion of several researchers from Radboud University in a paper published this week in Earth System Governance.

Refugees are more likely to suffer from mental health problems than the average person due to their migration experiences and socio-economic status. Psychosocial support helps, but it should not stand alone. Further investment is needed in the social lives of refugees and undocumented migrants, for example by giving them access to work and education. This is the argument put forward by social scientist Tessa Ubels. “People often come to see their psychologist as a friend. That is not a problem in itself, but it is if they have no other friends.” Ubels will defend her thesis at Radboud University on 2 June.

A new open access study published in Frontiers in Reproductive Health by Clara Selva Olid, researcher at the Behavioural Design Lab (BDLab), which is affiliated to the UOC's research unit on Digital Health, Health and Well-being, has found that implementing public actions in the political, social and organizational spheres can help reduce discrimination and social stigma, counteract the lack of attention given to this stage of life and significantly improve both quality of life and the healthcare received by women.

In several industrialised countries, governments are backing away from controversial building energy legislation that sought to ban oil and gas heating and replace them with fossil-free systems. An article co-authored by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) in Nature Climate Change now offers guidance on achieving the switch to climate-friendly technology without political uproar. Based on recent economic findings, the article provides criteria and a political roadmap for moderate, targeted regulation to complement the gradual increase in carbon pricing.