The Fairness Formula: Increasing Perceived Fairness by Policy Design

This paper presents a research outline for investigating the role of policy design in shaping the perception of fairness of energy transformation policies. Given the critical importance of perceived fairness in policy acceptance, this study examines how fairness considerations are integrated into key stages of policy design at the federal level in Germany. By analyzing the policy design process of the Fuel Emission Trading Act (2021) and the Building Energy Act (2024) through qualitative expert interviews with diverse stakeholders, we seek to test our hypothesis regarding current gaps and barriers in policy design processes that hinder the consistent inclusion of fairness considerations. The empirical insights will inform the development of a policy design framework to guide policymakers in enhancing perceived fairness. The framework will extend beyond an examination of fairness at the content level to include strategic communication and framing that aligns with fairness preferences within a given context.