The climate change narrative is losing its grip in Germany, once home of the most ardent believers.
The summer of 2026 was undoubtedly a record-breaking summer in Europe – apocalyptic reports about heat waves, forest fires, and rising temperatures dominated the headlines in the mainstream media. But in Germany, the home of climate fear-mongering, more and more citizens are apparently immune to this scare propaganda. Skepticism towards climate protection and the energy transition is growing. This is the conclusion of a study by the European University of Flensburg, which analyzed public attitudes between 2014 and 2023.
The researchers used 14 questions and statements on environmental destruction, the energy transition, climate policy, and the willingness to accept personal restrictions for environmental protection. The result is a rebuke for mainstream moral guardians: in 2023, almost two-thirds of respondents expressed doubts about climate change, climate protection measures, or their practical implementation. This figure was higher than in 2022. Data for recent years was apparently not included in the study – it would likely show a further increase in climate skepticism.
More than 90 percent of respondents answered at least one question more critically about climate protection than in the previous year. The remaining third presented a mixed picture: some respondents were more in favor of the “energy transition,” but at the same time less willing to reduce their own standard of living for the sake of climate protection.
Similar findings come from the Hamburg-based research project “Down2Earth,” which has been running since 2015. Anne Reif, a research associate on the project, explains: “We, too, observed a significant increase in climate protection skepticism.” According to her, agreement with statements about climate change, climate protection, and climate policy has decreased by a total of ten percent since the first survey in 2015.
The Flensburg study revealed that the most significant changes in attitudes were not among those who were already highly skeptical. Rather, the distance to climate change ideology increased precisely among respondents who had responded relatively favorably in 2022. The researchers write: “Our results show that climate change skepticism in Germany is no longer limited to a small but vocal minority.”
The researchers cite several possible causes, including the consequences of the war in Ukraine and the energy crisis since 2022. They also point to general weariness resulting from the ongoing crisis, the increasingly unpopular policies of the federal government, and the growing support for the AfD (Alternative for Germany). The strongest correlation, however, was found with political attitudes, particularly among respondents from the right-wing spectrum, who already have less trust in state institutions. Co-author Emanuel Deutschmann called for such attitudes to be given greater consideration in the future development of climate policy. But it is probably too late for that. After well over a decade of climate panic and the energy transition, Germans have simply had enough.