New results from the Planetary Health Action Survey: desire for more climate action

The most important results of the current survey are:

1. Climate policy ACTUAL and TARGET
In the PACE wave of May 2025, respondents were asked to state their expectations of the parties and the new government with regard to climate protection. With the exception of potential AfD and FDP voters, the picture is the same across all parties: Respondents want significantly more climate protection from the party they would vote for in the upcoming federal election ("Sunday question"). 40% of respondents want more climate protection from the newly elected federal government than they are currently observing – here too, ACTUAL and TARGET diverge.

The researchers' interpretation: Parties could communicate their climate protection goals and measures and their effectiveness more clearly, as the electorate of almost all parties expects a stronger commitment to climate protection. This also includes the implementation of measures. This could strengthen confidence in the political ability to act.

2. Agreement with climate facts
In the current wave, respondents were also asked about their agreement with five key facts on climate change, which the "Yale Program on Climate Change Communication" used to get to the heart of the complex issue (It's real. It is us. It is devastating. Scientists agree. There is hope!). Around half to two thirds of respondents strongly or very strongly agreed with the facts. The greatest uncertainty was about human influence on climate change and the consensus of the scientific community. Compared to data from 2022, people are currently slightly less aware of climate change (66% vs. 74%) and also slightly less likely to believe that life will get worse (61% vs. 70%). Slightly more people tend to agree or strongly agree that there is still hope (58% vs. 62%).

3. Citizens have questions for politicians
14 June 2025 is Climate Democracy Day. Citizens will be able to discuss a better climate future with members of the Bundestag. To this end, the researchers at the University of Erfurt asked the study participants what burning question they would like to ask politicians about climate and climate protection. The result: Most of the questions centred on why specific climate protection measures are not being implemented (e.g. climate money, speed limit, expansion of the rail network, reform of the construction sector, more investment in climate protection, less sealing). Around a third of respondents would like to know why political responsibility is not being honoured (e.g. failure to meet climate targets, ignoring scientific findings, lack of responsibility on the part of large corporations/industry). A further third asked for more information about climate policy measures (e.g. the cost-effectiveness of measures, Germany's role in global climate protection, reasons for the failure or political rejection of measures)

More detailed and further results can be found on the study website at: www.pace-studie.de.