Transformative climate adaptation from a provisioning perspective. Addressing heat stress in the care and construction sectors

Transform-Labor addresses the specific challenges of adapting to heat stress in Austria's mobile long-term care and construction sectors and determines how the System of Provision (SoP) approach can support the development of appropriate transformative adaptation measures. The focus is on improving working conditions for the well-being of workers and the equitable, sustainable provision of basic care services. The project thus provides important insights for stakeholders from academia, politics, administration, trade unions and civil society on transformative adaptation in essential sectors in Austria. To this end, Transform-Labor operationalises transformative adaptation (TA) using SoP in the mobile long-term care and construction sectors in Austria. The focus is on labor as a critical factor in the provision of essential services. Both sectors are characterised by gender-specific, physically demanding work, labor shortages and high heat stress. SoP provides key information for the design of transformative adaptation measures by analysing the political-economic, socio-cultural and institutional root causes of heat stress and social vulnerability among workers. At the same time, the approach highlights structural conditions that enable TA in these sectors. The aim is to develop a conceptual framework to guide empirical research in the case studies. Using qualitative methods – literature analysis, expert interviews and focus groups – the causes of vulnerability are identified and TA measures are developed together with stakeholders (e.g. workers, the Chamber of Labour and the Construction and Woodworkers' Union). In addition, quantitative approaches and data are used to develop holistic indicators for assessing the effectiveness of TA.