Majority wants climate action to become part of German Basic Law – online survey

Climate action belongs in Germany’s Basic Law as a “binding state task”, a majority (59%) of respondents in an online climate policy survey by Spiegel Online say. About 70 percent of respondents said all existing state subsidies for air travel should be abolished, and about half said  domestic flights should be completely replaced through expanding rail transport and making it less expensive. On the other hand, 45 percent rejected such a proposal.

The Green Party has long called for including climate action in the German Basic Law, which is akin to other countries’ constitution, and a recent call by conservative Bavarian state premier Markus Söder has brought the topic back to public attention. Air travel emissions have come under scrutiny both in Germany and across Europe in recent months for their growing impact on the climate.