While the majority (80%) of consumers in Germany state that they are concerned about climate change, support for transition measures has waned, a new report by Bertelsmann Stiftung and the Research Institute for Sustainability at GFZ (RIFS) has found.
According to the 2026 Social Sustainability Barometer of Transformation, some 56% of Germans would like to see the government increase spending on climate protection, while 56% support further measures related to the energy, transport and heating transitions.
Economic pressures
Support for the energy transition has fallen to 60%, compared with 65% three years ago and 69% five years ago, with this decline linked to economic conditions, increasing financial pressures and ‘diminishing trust’ in the government’s ability to implement effective policies, the study found.
In particular, more than half (53%) of respondents said that they are concerned about the personal financial impact of climate policies over the next five years, while around two fifths (39%) anticipate a potential decline in economic prosperity as a result of current climate policies.
In addition, four fifths (79%) of respondents said that they believe government support is necessary to enable them to make the transition to climate-friendly household technologies. Among householders that don’t see technologies such as heat pumps as an option, 41% said that this was due to financial constraints.
‘Practically implementable’
“Acceptance of climate protection measures depends on citizens perceiving them as practically implementable, economically sensible, and fair,” commented Anne Meisiek, one of the study’s authors. “In light of this, we need climate policy that offers affordable alternatives, reliable infrastructure, and security of supply, while providing targeted incentives and a fair distribution of burdens.”
Other findings from the study include that 52% of respondents see economic growth and climate protection as equally important goals, while 44% regard investment in climate protection as an economic opportunity, compared with 23% who don’t recognise this connection.
Elsewhere, some 56% of respondents said that they consider energy-transition policy difficult to understand, while close to two thirds (63%) believe it is ‘disconnected’ from the day-to-day concerns of citizens.
“Justified concerns over economic disadvantages and personal burdens provide a gateway for political narratives that seek to obstruct ambitious climate policy,” added Jean-Henri Huttarsch, study author at RIFS. “However, those who portray the transformation as a scapegoat for economic concerns are not only missing an opportunity, they are reinforcing doubts about a change aimed at ensuring future viability.” Read more here.
