Two in three Germans reject lower standard of living to protect the environment – survey

More than two thirds of Germans say they would “rather not” or “definitely not” make financial sacrifices and lower their personal standard of living for the benefit of the climate, according to a new survey commissioned in the Süddeutsche Zeitung (SZ). Sixty-eight percent rejected the idea, while 23 percent said they are ready to do so. The survey, conducted by opinion research institute Civey, found marked differences along party lines: Only 3 percent of far-right populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) voters, a party who wants to abolish all climate protection laws, would be willing to make sacrifices for climate, whereas 79 percent of Green Party voters said they would. The majority of voters for other parties would also be unwilling to take a financial hit for climate, the newspaper said. Those surveyed said they would be most likely to give up on cruises or air travel in order to protect the environment. The majority, however, wouldn’t be willing to drive less or eat less meat, with 30 percent saying they wouldn’t give up “anything at all.”

Civey CEO Janina Mütze told SZ the compounding nature of crises like the coronavirus pandemic, the energy crisis, and inflation contributed to the results, as these made people feel powerless and paralysed. Once that impacts their financial situation, climate protection becomes less important, she said. Contrasting with the most recent results, a Civey survey in June 2017 found that almost every second respondent said they would be willing to pay more for electricity from renewables. Seven years later, not even one in five people said they would. “Climate protection has been slowly and gradually losing importance among the population,” said Mütze, adding that other issues presenting a seemingly more urgent challenge, such as migration, security and the economy, have taken precedence as issues of importance. Climate change, on the other hand, is rather seen as an issue that will impact society more on a timeline of decades.