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AbstractWithin the empirical study of moral decision making, people's morality is often identified by measuring general moral values through a questionnaire, such as the Moral Foundations Questionnaire provided by Moral Foundations Theory (MFT). However, the success of these moral values in predicting people's behaviour has been disappointing. The general and context-free manner in which such approaches measure moral values and people's moral identity seems crucial in this respect. Yet, little research has been done into the underlying notion of self. This article aims to fill this gap. Taking a phenomenological approach and focusing on MFT, we examine the concept of moral self that MFT assumes and present an improved concept of moral self for the empirical study of morality. First, we show that MFT adopts an essentialist concept of moral self, consisting of stable moral traits. Then, we argue that such a notion is unable to grasp the dynamical and context sensitive aspects of the moral self. We submit that Ricoeur's narrative notion of identity, a self that reinterprets itself in every decision situation through self-narrative, is a viable alternative since it is able to incorporate context sensitivity and change, while maintaining a persisting moral identity. Finally, we argue that this narrative concept of moral self implies measuring people's morality in a more exploratory fashion within a delineated context.

In 2018, the European Commission presented its long-term Strategic Vision "A clean planet for all", which calls for net-zero greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) of the European Union by 2050. The Strategic Vision is accompanied by the In-depth Analysis containing a detailed impact assessment based on a scenario analysis. This paper presents the findings of an assessment of the In-depth Analysis, in particular its suitability as the analytical input for the Strategic Vision. In summary, the In-depth Analysis covers the key aspects for building an adequate long-term climate strategy and is thus a strong foundation for the Strategic Vision, in spite of certain limitations. The presented pathways to net-zero emissions cover all the relevant sectors and GHGs and are in accordance with other studies. However, they are not fully assessable, because important input and output data are not provided for all scenarios. Moreover, it is unclear why none of the scenarios maximises the use of renewable energies. The variety of models used provides evidence for the economic feasibility of such a transition. In this regard, the restricted set of scenarios used for the macro-economic assessment is a shortcoming. In the scenarios with net-zero GHG emissions in 2050, all sectors have to pursue very ambitious emission reductions early on. Nonetheless, some remaining GHG emissions have to be compensated by a combination of natural and artificial carbon sinks. Detailed considerations of the economic and social implications of the mitigation scenarios show moderate impacts on GDP and labor in comparison to other societal drivers, but also indicate the need for a strong shift from consumption to investment in mitigation technologies and infrastructure. International cooperation is seen as essential to foster the transformation to net-zero GHG emissions.