War and pandemic do not jeopardize Germans’ willingness to support climate measures

Abstract

How do the impacts of acute crises influence citizens’ willingness to support different types of climate measures? An acute crisis can be understood either as an impediment or as an opportunity for climate change mitigation. In the first perspective, crisis impacts would create negative spill-overs and dampen citizens’ willingness to support climate action, while in the second perspective, the opposite would occur. Based on a survey experiment fielded in Germany in 2022 (n = 5438), we find that the economic implications of the Russo-Ukrainian War do not decrease behavioral willingness, while restrictions of civil liberties to combat the COVID-19 pandemic lead to higher climate support, underpinning the crisis-as-opportunity perspective. Willingness to support climate measures is strongest among (1) those most concerned about climate change, and (2) those who trust the government. We conclude that individuals do not wish climate change mitigation to be deprioritized on the back of other crises.

The Coal Phase-Out in Germany and Its Regional Impact on Economic Worries

“…Furthermore, regarding the period analyzed in this article, it could also be the case that economic worries might have changed under the additional risk of energy shortages due to the full-scale Russian war against Ukraine that began on 24 February 2022. A survey from 2022 suggests at least that support for climate change mitigation policies has not decreased due to the Russian invasion (Rinscheid and Koos 2023). Based on more recent waves of the GSOEP than those which were available for the present study, future studies should take the possible period-effects of the war against Ukraine into consideration.…”

From Sustainable Consumption to Climate Activism. Sustainability Careers of Young People in Germany.

“…These figures showa high level of political activism among the so-called "Generation Z", people who were born after 1995. The concern for the climate is still unbroken, even in a time of multiple crises with wars and a pandemic, and the willingness to support climate measures remains high in Germany 4 . Young people continue to see climate change as a direct threat to their future lives: In a recent representative survey of German youth, 73% said they were afraid of the consequences of climate change, and 88% even expressed anger about anthropogenic environmental problems 5 .…”