Climate change yes - but who should pay for it?
According to a survey by the Bertelsmann Foundation, the majority of Germans are aware that climate change poses a serious threat and that the economy, energy production and transportation must be restructured. However, many are also concerned about the distribution of the burden.
According to a study by the Bertelsmann Foundation, a majority of people in Germany are very or even extremely concerned about climate change. According to the survey, 54% of respondents were "very concerned" or "extremely concerned" about climate change. A further third are "somewhat concerned", according to the foundation.
Compared to the previous year, however, the proportion of those who are concerned about climate change has fallen slightly. According to the study, just under 13% of respondents were "not very" or "not at all" concerned, which is almost two percentage points more than a year ago.
The analysis conducted in collaboration with the Research Institute for Sustainability Helmholtz Center Potsdam (RIFS) revealed that 69% of Germans are in favour of the energy transition, i.e. the switch from fossil fuels to renewable energies. At 56%, approval of the transport transition is not quite as high. 12 percent reject the energy transition completely, compared to 19 percent for the transportation transition.
76 percent find the energy transition expensive
According to the study, people have major concerns about which climate protection measures are the right ones. More than half of those surveyed (55%) believe that the energy and transport transition is putting social cohesion at risk. Only around 20 percent feel that the transformation is fair. Germans consider the distribution of benefits and costs between high and low earners, between companies and consumers and between urban and rural populations to be particularly unfair.
Three out of four people in Germany (76%) consider the energy transition to be expensive. 45% assume that energy prices will not fall. One in two (50 percent) do not believe that the transport transition will make mobility cheaper.
"This sentiment shows that it is neither a good idea to do climate protection without social compensation, nor to forego climate protection in favor of social cohesion," said study author Sara Holzmann. According to the Bertelsmann Foundation economist, an unchecked climate crisis is also a threat to democracy, not least due to the expected distributional conflicts.
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The Bertelsmann study conducted by the Bertelsmann Foundation highlights that while the majority of Germans are aware of the need for restructuring the economy, energy production, and transportation due to climate change, they are concerned about the distribution of the costs associated with these changes. Specifically, 76% of Germans consider the energy transition expensive and only 20% feel that the transformation is fair, highlighting concerns about the distribution of benefits and costs.
Given the findings of the Bertelsmann Foundation study on transportation policy, it is crucial for policymakers to develop sustainable and equitable solutions for renewable energies and climate change mitigation, taking into account the concerns of the German population. This could involve implementing policies that ensure a just transition, ensuring that high and low earners, companies and consumers, and urban and rural populations are fairly represented in the transition to renewable energies.
Source: www.ntv.de
