Ulrich Brand is calling for the blockers of climate policy to be left behind and for the groundwork for a post-Trump era to be laid right now.

Alternatives to petroleum need to be economically viable. This isn't about ecological austerity — that is, harsh spending cuts in the name of climate protection. Because that would ultimately mean: poverty for the population.

De-globalisation means keeping as much as possible within regional cycles and covering the basic needs of one's own population, says Brand, who is a professor at the Institute of Political Science at the University of Vienna.

<link http: derstandard.at politikwissenschafter-die-usa-sind-in-der-klimapolitik-nicht-homogen external-link-new-window external link in new>Read the full interview on the Standard website.