Majority of Germans demand fair climate transition at home and for developing countries – EIB survey

Nearly two-thirds (62%) of respondents from Germany place the cost of living in the top three concerns for their country, compared with 55 percent who said the same about the consequences of climate change and environmental damage, according to the latest climate survey by the European Investment Bank (EIB). Conducted between August and September 2023, the survey polled 30,000 people in major economies around the globe, among them the EU, the US, China, India and Japan. The EIB is the world's largest multilateral lender to climate projects and is an EU institution. Two-thirds of respondents said they believe that the transition to a climate-neutral economy can only take place if inequalities are mitigated and a majority said that the state should financially compensate countries that are not involved in climate change but are nevertheless affected by it.

Two-thirds of respondents also supported the elimination of subsidies and tax breaks for aviation and for companies that heavily rely on fossil fuels, the survey found. In addition to inflation, a year of record heat waves and droughts appears to have had an impact on the views of respondents. Calls for a just transition were pervasive at home and in affected countries. Economic inequalities were the fourth most cited problem by respondents after inflation, climate and environmental issues and immigration. Most German respondents said they are for fair measures to combat the climate emergency, with 64 percent (EU average: 68%) saying that the transition to a low-carbon economy can only take place if economic inequalities are combated. That view is especially strong among people in rural areas (70% versus 59% in metropolitan areas) and members of the middle class (68% versus 60% of the upper class). The findings are in line with a similar survey conducted earlier this year.