Politicians in climate protection: Where is the mandate of the population?

Politicians in climate protection: Where is the mandate of the population?

On July 15, 2025, a current report from Leuphana University deals with an urgent topic: the acceptance of climate protection measures among the population. This study examined the opinions of around 6,000 elected officials from all political parties. This shows that politicians generally correctly assess a high level of problem awareness and the desire for support from citizens. However, opinions differ widely only when it comes to the acceptance of taxation and the willingness to invest money in climate protection.

The participation of around a quarter of elected officials in the survey provides interesting insights. The study covers various aspects, including the desire for government action and general awareness of the problem of climate change. The greatest discrepancies between politicians' expectations and popular views occur in the areas that actually require financial cuts. This underlines the false assumption of many political decision-makers that citizens are not prepared to support effective climate protection measures. Such misjudgments could quickly prove to be a significant obstacle to decisive climate and environmental policy actions, such as Leuphana reports.

Acceptance of global climate policy

The economic institute analyzes the general acceptance of global climate policy in an encouraging finding. Citizens' willingness to support international commitments is higher than many politicians assume. This discrepancy raises questions about communication and understanding regarding climate and environmental issues. The population wants to be actively involved in the measures and expects their voices to be heard in political decision-making processes, which is often not the case in reality. This shows that better education and transparency are necessary to promote effective citizen participation. Further details can be found in Economic Institute.

In the broader public discussion, it can be observed that awareness of the urgency of the issue of climate change has increased significantly in recent decades. Historically, interest in climate challenges dates back to the 1990s, when scientific consensus on man-made climate change emerged. The environmental movement, which gained importance in the 1960s and 70s, was intensified by scientific findings on the greenhouse effect. The Fridays For Future movement, which was launched by Greta Thunberg in 2018, has also mobilized youth to actively campaign for fairer climate policies. This is particularly evident when one considers that young people between the ages of 14 and 19 from Germany and abroad are often mobilized during the protests bpb indicates.

The role of social justice in climate action is another key issue that makes the climate change discussion complex. As the studies show, many low-income earners are affected by the effects of climate policy. In addition, they are often deprived of the opportunity to actively advocate for environmentally friendly practices. Given these challenges, it is all the more important that politics takes both climate policy and social dimensions into account. Ultimately, it shows that the willingness to support climate protection measures certainly exists in society, provided it is addressed and implemented correctly.