Forest fires, floods, heat, drought – almost no day goes by without climate-related record or disaster news. The effects of the climate crisis are also noticeable and present for the German population. The new environmental awareness study examines how Germans perceive the climate crisis and what attitudes and expectations they express regarding the ecological transformation of the German economy. This was published in July 2023 and its results presented at a press conference.
The study 'Environmental Awareness in Germany' has been collecting representative data on environment-related attitudes of the German population every two years since 1996 on behalf of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV) and the German Environment Agency (UBA). The current study was designed and conducted by ConPolicy Institute together with the Institute for Ecological Economy Research (IÖW). A total of 2,073 citizens aged 14 and older were surveyed by forsa in a representative online survey in the summer of 2022.
The results of the environmental awareness study show that the noticeable effects of the climate crisis are now also clearly visible in Germany and are causing considerable concern among the population. The study results show that 85 percent of respondents are already experiencing clear effects of climate change, such as persistent drought, low water levels and droughts.
In addition, the results on the study's main topic show that the ecological transformation of the German economy is considered important by 91 percent of respondents. More than 80 percent expect comprehensive government support measures in severely affected regions for the transition to an environmentally and climate-friendly economy. In addition, a large majority see the reduction of plastic waste as a key task for policymakers (75 percent) and are in favor of promoting a circular economy (72 percent). However, the results also point to existing uncertainties and concerns due to potentially negative impacts of the transformation, indicating the essential need for socially responsible change.
The study results can be found here.
More information on the project can be found here.