Climate protection in Germany: willingness and ambitious goals in focus

Climate protection in Germany: willingness and ambitious goals in focus

A new study from Oldenburg examines the connection between national climate goals and the population's willingness to protect the climate. This groundbreaking work was carried out by Prof. Dr. Heinz Welsch and the results were published in the journal Ecological Economics. The analysis covers 123 countries' national climate targets agreed in 2021 and draws on survey data from the Global Climate Change Survey, which covered 130,000 people in 125 countries.

The study shows that 89% of those surveyed worldwide want their governments to make more intensive political commitment to climate protection. In addition, 69% of those surveyed could imagine spending one percent of their income on climate protection measures. Nevertheless, there are significant differences between governments' climate goals and the willingness of the population to actively contribute to climate protection.

The conflict between ethical principles and cost-benefit considerations

Welsch points out that governments often take ethical principles into account when it comes to climate protection, while cost-benefit thinking predominates among the population. This discrepancy is striking, particularly in countries with high per capita emissions, where there are often concerns that climate action could have a negative impact on the economy.

A key finding of the study is that a country's average income, emissions levels and temperature are crucial for governments' climate goals and the willingness of the population. For example, more developed countries with high emissions have more ambitious climate goals, while poorer, warmer countries are more willing to take climate action.

Germany's role in international climate protection

Germany aims to reduce emissions by 39.7% between 2019 and 2030, placing it in 12th place among international climate goals. A remarkable majority of 86% of Germans believe that the government should do more to protect the climate. Nevertheless, the study shows that the population's willingness to make economic sacrifices is only 74th in an international comparison at 67.9%.

Among the aspects of international climate policy, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which was signed in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 and came into force in 1994, stands out. Their goal is to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in order to prevent dangerous disruptions to the climate system. Currently, 197 states, including the EU, have ratified the UNFCCC and are obliged to participate in climate protection based on the principle of “common but differentiated responsibilities and capacities”. Umweltbundesamt.de.

Future challenges in climate protection

The commitments made under this Convention are regularly reviewed and require extensive reporting on greenhouse gas emissions and mitigation measures. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's Sixth Assessment Report (2023) recommends a reduction in global greenhouse gas emissions by 43% by 2030 and by 60% by 2035 compared to 2019. Without increased measures, global warming could increase by up to 3.2 °C by 2100, which would have devastating consequences.

In order to meet this challenge, the introduction of political instruments such as climate money is necessary to mitigate the social and economic impacts of climate protection measures. Welsch emphasizes that it remains a major challenge for democratic societies to design a climate policy that actively involves the population in order to ensure sustainable and fair climate protection.