Zukunft KlimaSozial

What Zukunft KlimaSozial does

Zukunft KlimaSozial ZKS gGmbH is a Berlin-based non-profit think tank founded in June 2024 by Dr. Brigitte Knopf and Dr. Ines Verspohl to integrate climate and social policy from the outset. The organization's stated mission is to develop a 'Klimasozialpolitik' that analyzes both the social impacts of climate policy and the climate effects of social policy, spanning life areas including housing, energy, mobility, health, work, and social participation. Its core intellectual product is the '11 Thesen für eine Klimasozialpolitik' thesis paper, supported by an ongoing portfolio of policy briefs, KlimaSozial kompakt briefing notes, comprehensive analyses, and joint publications with partner research institutes such as Öko-Institut, Agora Verkehrswende, ifeu, Initiative Klimaneutrales Deutschland, and Leuphana Universität. The organization convenes an annual conference ('Sozial kann Klima') and twice-yearly advisory board meetings in Berlin, and reaches stakeholders via a multilingual website, newsletter, social media, press releases, and conference participation. The business model is grant-based: the European Climate Foundation serves as primary core funder and Stiftung Mercator provides project funding for work on the social implementation of the European Green Deal. The organization does not sell products or services; all publications are distributed as free downloads. As of mid-2026 the organization operates with approximately 6-9 employees across research, communications, data analysis, and operations, and its analytical scope has expanded from German policy into broader EU-level climate-social policy, including a 17-country Social Climate Plan analysis covering approximately EUR 60 billion in underlying plan budgets.

Name

Zukunft KlimaSozial

Legal name

Zukunft KlimaSozial ZKS gGmbH

Website

https://zukunft-klimasozial.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Zukunft KlimaSozial is a Berlin-based non-profit think tank that develops evidence-based policy concepts integrating climate and social policy for governments, research institutes, and civil society organizations in Germany and the EU.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Policy Research and Think Tank Services

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAFAO

Think Tanks, Policy Research & Public Policy Institutes

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Civil Rights, Advocacy & Public Policy Organizations

SECONDARYBPAGAGAF

Climate Change Mitigation & Adaptation

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Environmental & Conservation Organizations

SECONDARYBPADALAA

Climate Policy, Governance & NDC Support

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/Climate, Environment & Sustainable Development Programs

SECONDARYBPADALAD

Climate Adaptation & Resilience Programs

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/Climate, Environment & Sustainable Development Programs

Keywords

• Climate policy research
• Social policy analysis
• Policy think tank
• Climate transition studies
• Evidence-based policy briefs

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Foundation Funding: Primary funding from European Climate Foundation as core financial supporter, with additional project funding from Stiftung Mercator for work on social implementation of the European Green Deal.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Zukunft KlimaSozial is a non-profit scientific think tank that produces policy research publications, policy briefs, analyses, and studies focused on integrating climate and social policy. It develops evidence-based concepts for a socially just climate transition across life areas including housing, energy, mobility, health, labor, and social participation. The organization also convenes stakeholders through annual conferences and workshops, producing all publications as free downloads for policymakers, researchers, and civil society.

Product overview

Zukunft KlimaSozial is a scientific think tank focused on connecting climate and social policy. Rather than a software product company, it produces policy research publications, analyses, and convenes conferences. Its portfolio includes Policy Briefs providing in-depth policy recommendations, KlimaSozial kompakt briefing papers for specific topics, comprehensive analyses and studies on climate-social issues, the foundational 11 Thesen thesis paper outlining core principles, the annual 'Sozial kann Klima' conference, and topic-specific publications like factsheets and joint discussion papers with partner organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Policy Briefs In-depth policy analysis publications addressing climate-social policy topics including the Social Climate Plan for Germany, socially just climate policies examples, and EU Social Climate Fund analysis. Targeted at policymakers, researchers, and civil society stakeholders.
• KlimaSozial kompakt Short-format briefing papers providing concise analysis on specific topics such as income-based subsidies, EU ETS2 and social dimensions, and climate measures examples from Europe. Designed for policymakers and stakeholders needing quick, evidence-based summaries.
• Analyses and Studies Comprehensive research analyses covering topics such as building energy renovation subsidies, electricity grid transformation, climate and transformation fund perspectives, and EU member state climate plans. Targeted at policymakers, researchers, and civil society.
• 11 Thesen für eine Klimasozialpolitik Foundational thesis paper presenting eleven core principles for climate-social policy, including social justice dimensions, wealth-based emissions responsibility, climate crisis impacts on vulnerable populations, and four pillars of socially just transformation. Available as a free PDF download in German.
• Konferenz 'Sozial kann Klima' Annual conference bringing together experts from politics, practice, and science to discuss climate-oriented social policy approaches, featuring workshops and panel discussions. Open to stakeholders across policy, research, and civil society.
• Factsheet Wärmepumpen im Eigenheim Fact sheet analyzing social aspects of heat pump adoption among homeowners, identifying financial barriers and income-based disparities in heating technology transition. Co-developed with Initiative Klimaneutrales Deutschland.
• Diskussionspapier Bezahlbare Elektroautos Joint discussion paper with Agora Verkehrswende proposing a two-stage approach for income-based electric vehicle subsidies to enable broader market access. Targets policymakers in transport and climate policy.

Quantifiable outcome

• Analysis of 60 billion euros in Social Climate Plans across 17 European countries

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered major and notable.

• Öko-InstitutmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint analysis on social heat transition in the rental housing sector (July 2026). Öko-Institut provided project leadership while Zukunft KlimaSozial contributed policy analysis expertise.
• Agora VerkehrswendemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint discussion paper on affordable electric cars (March 2025) proposing two-stage income-based subsidy approach for EV adoption.
• Initiative Klimaneutrales Deutschland (IKND)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint factsheet on social aspects of heat pumps for homeowners (June 2026) based on representative survey by Institut für Demoskopie Allensbach.
• ifeu (Institut für Energie- und Umweltforschung)notableStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint event at Berliner Energietage 2026 on socially just heat transition, focusing on reaching lower-income populations.
• Leuphana UniversitätnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner contributing research on energy poverty and its psychological impacts on affected households.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Öko-Institut: One of Germany's leading environmental research institutes, headquartered in Freiburg. Direct strategic partner of Zukunft KlimaSozial on the social heat transition analysis for the rental housing sector (July 2026). Highly comparable as a German environmental think tank producing policy analysis for federal ministries.
• Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change (MCC): Berlin-based climate policy think tank founded 2012, where ZKS founder Dr. Brigitte Knopf served as Secretary General from 2015 to December 2023. Direct peer in scale, mission, and funding base, operating on climate-economics policy integration with comparable publications and federal policy access.
• Agora Verkehrswende: Berlin-based think tank focused on climate-friendly mobility transition in Germany. Direct partner of Zukunft KlimaSozial on the joint discussion paper proposing income-based EV subsidies (March 2025). Comparable as a German climate policy think tank with a sectoral focus and similar funding base (Stiftung Mercator, ECF).
• Stiftung KlimaWirtschaft: Berlin-based climate-economy foundation representing German businesses in climate policy debates. Comparable as a German climate policy think tank with foundation funding that produces policy recommendations bridging economic and climate considerations, addressing distributional implications of climate measures.
• Initiative Klimaneutrales Deutschland (IKND): Berlin-based climate-neutrality initiative coordinating civil society and business actors in Germany. Direct partner on the joint factsheet analyzing social aspects of heat pumps for homeowners (June 2026). Comparable as a German climate policy organization producing stakeholder-coordinating publications for federal policy impact.
• ifeu (Institut für Energie- und Umweltforschung): Heidelberg-based research institute conducting energy and environmental research with strong policy-analysis orientation. Direct partner of Zukunft KlimaSozial on joint events at Berliner Energietage 2026 on socially just heat transition. Comparable as a German applied research institute producing policy briefs on climate and energy topics.

Broad incumbents

• Deutsches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung (DIW Berlin): Berlin-based economic research institute founded 1925, producing climate and social policy research as part of a much broader economic policy portfolio. Comparable on Berlin-based policy research and climate-economic integration but operates at materially larger scale with ~300 researchers versus ZKS's 6-person team.
• Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES): Major German political foundation affiliated with the Social Democratic Party, with extensive climate-justice and social policy programs. Comparable on social-justice climate framing and German federal policy influence, but operates as a much larger, multi-thematic institution with global footprint and party affiliation.
• Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung: German political foundation affiliated with the Greens, with substantial climate and social policy research programs including its own climate unit. Comparable on climate-social policy integration and federal policy engagement, but at significantly larger scale with global office network and party affiliation.

Emerging players

• Stiftung Neue Verantwortung (SNV): Berlin-based think tank focused on digital and social policy, comparable in scale (~30-40 staff) and non-profit foundation-funded operating model. Though substantive focus differs (digital vs. climate-social policy), SNV shares ZKS's model of producing policy papers for federal ministries from a small Berlin team.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/zukunftklimasozial
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zukunft-klimasozial

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Zukunft KlimaSozial