According to a current survey by the Social Sustainability Barometer of Transformation, a project involving the Bertelsmann Foundation and the GFZ Research Institute for Sustainability, the majority of Germans continue to support consistent climate protection measures, although the level of approval is declining.
The survey reveals that 80 percent of respondents are concerned about climate change. Furthermore, 54 percent demand increased state investment in climate protection, while around 56 percent call for further actions across the energy, transport, and heating sectors. Despite these strong demands, the overall support demonstrates a slight downward trend compared to previous years. This decline is particularly evident in the energy transition: five years ago, approval stood at 69 percent, falling to 65 percent three years ago, and now it is 60 percent.
A significant factor contributing to the weakening support for climate action is concerns regarding the economic situation. There is high anxiety (53 percent) regarding potential personal financial impacts over the next five years. Moreover, 39 percent of the population fear that current climate policies could lead to broader economic loss of prosperity.
The practical implementation of green transitions is also difficult. A large majority (79 percent) believe that private households cannot switch to climate-friendly technologies without state support. Among those who cannot utilize a climate-neutral heating system, such as a heat pump, 41 percent cite financial reasons as a barrier, and 52 percent cite similar financial constraints when considering energy-efficient building renovations. An additional 26 percent feel there is no viable way for them to become more environmentally friendly in the future.
However, for the majority of respondents, economic growth and climate protection are not mutually exclusive goals. Fifty-two percent view both as relatively equal priorities. Currently, 44 percent see investments in climate protection as an economic opportunity-almost twice the number of people (23 percent) who do not yet recognize this connection.
Beyond the fear of economic strain, the inability to clearly communicate climate policy is proving to be a major handicap. Fifty-six percent of the population finds energy transition policies to be tendentially incomprehensible, and 63 percent perceive them as disconnected from ordinary citizens. Consequently, trust in the federal government’s climate policy is low; 55 percent reported lacking confidence that the federal government is acting in the general interest when shaping the sustainable transformation.
