Environmental Consciousness in Germany 2024

The study series “Environmental Consciousness in Germany” has been conducted every two years since 1996 on behalf of the Federal Ministry for the Environment and the Federal Environment Agency to investigate how environmental awareness and environmental behavior are developing among the population in Germany. The aim is to understand the existing patterns of thought and action in society and to anticipate the needs of different population groups. In addition to the recurring questions, each survey focuses on an additional key topic. In 2024, the survey investigated how people in Germany think about the interrelationships between the environment, health and quality of life.

The 2024 survey was conducted by Verian Germany during the survey period from 04.09.2024 to 14.11.2024. The questionnaire covered the following key areas: Relevance of environmental issues, environment and quality of life, environment and health, environmental policy for quality of life and health, environmental policy attitudes, parameters of environmental awareness and willingness to change as well as socio-cultural questions on segmentation. As part of the survey, a total of 2,552 people in Germany aged 18 and over were interviewed mainly online (CAWI = computer assisted web interview), alternatively by paper questionnaire or by telephone. In 2024, the post-direct method was used for the first time to select survey participants: Contacting a random sample from the Deutsche Post address pool (includes almost all private addresses in Germany). The sample is evenly distributed according to age, gender and federal state.<br>1. Relevance of environmental issues: Importance of various socio-political issues (social justice, economic development, crime, public safety, wars, terrorism, environmental and climate protection, digitalization, unemployment, immigration, integration, state of the education system, state of the healthcare system, development of urban and rural areas, data protection and social cohesion).

2. Environment and quality of life: Satisfaction with the general quality of life; satisfaction with the living environment in relation to various aspects (quality of drinking water, air quality, peace and quiet, protection from flooding due to heavy rain or high water, protection from extreme heat in the summer months, access to attractive green spaces, cleanliness of the living environment, access to public transport, good and safe ways of getting around by bike or on foot, access to healthy and affordable food, access to affordable organic food); satisfaction with the quality of the environment in the immediate living environment, in the city or municipality, in Germany and worldwide; concerns about the quality of the environment in Germany and worldwide. community, in Germany and worldwide; concerns about future deterioration of the environmental quality in the residential environment in general and with regard to various aspects (quality of drinking water, air quality, peace and quiet, protection from flooding due to heavy rainfall or high water, etc.); importance of various goals for a better quality of life in Germany (improving the quality of drinking water, improving the quality of the air, reducing noise pollution in residential areas, protection against flooding, protection against extreme heat in the summer months, improving access to attractive public green spaces, reducing soil sealing, improving cleanliness and reducing pollution, improving access to public transportation, improving and expanding cycle paths and footpaths, improving access to healthy and affordable food, improving access to affordable organic food, improving access to climate-friendly and affordable housing, improving recycling opportunities).

3. Environment and health: Level of health burden from environmental problems and environmental pollutants; level of health burden from the following factors: Pollutants and pesticide residues in food, chemicals in everyday products and objects, electromagnetic radiation from cell phones, tablets and computers, electromagnetic radiation from cell phone towers, pollutants in drinking water, plastic particles in drinking water and food, air pollutants, noise, heat waves, allergens in the air, drug residues in drinking water, products to control pests, disinfectants for surfaces and hands; level of perceived noise pollution from rail traffic noise, road traffic noise, air traffic noise, industrial and commercial noise and neighborhood noise; comparison of own exposure to environmental problems compared to the average population in Germany; feelings about climate change (worried, frustrated, angry, powerless, sad, indifferent, confident); self-assessment of current state of physical health and mental health; assessment of various behaviors with regard to positive or negative effects on health (cycling, walking, eating a predominantly plant-based diet, eating mainly organic food, buying products with environmental labels, buying fewer products packaged in plastic, using low-emission cleaning products).

4. Environmental policy for quality of life and health: Expectations of policy (environmental policy in Germany should strive even more strongly than before to protect human health as a central goal alongside the protection of the environment and nature, the protection of human health should be pursued more strongly than before as a central goal in all policy areas); expected effects of the implementation of extensive measures in environmental, nature and climate protection on the quality of life and health of people in Germany; areas with an urgent need for change (sufficient and affordable housing, better job opportunities and fair wages, improving educational opportunities, more environmental, nature and climate protection, integration of immigrants, improving public safety, more investment in infrastructure, reducing poverty and social inequality, preventing discrimination and equal opportunities for all, strengthening healthcare and care, advancing digitalization, supplying healthy and affordable food, reducing dependence on fossil fuel imports); opinion on the importance of environmental and climate protection in various policy areas (economic policy, labor market policy, social policy, foreign and security policy, transport policy, agricultural policy, energy policy, tax and financial policy, urban development policy/urban and regional planning, health policy, education policy); evaluation of various actors with regard to their commitment to environmental and climate protection (environmental associations, cities and municipalities, federal government, federal states, European Union, United Nations (UN), industry and business, citizens, science, media, educational institutions and trade unions); importance of various areas of environmental protection (switching from fossil fuels to renewable energies, using less natural land for new roads, residential and commercial areas, using less artificial fertilizers and pesticides in agriculture, reducing noise, exhaust fumes and particulate matter in road traffic, reduce plastic waste and plastic inputs into nature, dispose of nuclear waste safely, improve protection against the consequences of climate change, limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius in the long term, prevent the extinction of animal and plant species, adhere to the phase-out of nuclear power, protect forests, peatlands and other ecosystems and expand protected areas, switch from conventional to organic farming, reduce water consumption, promote the circular economy, provide financial support to poorer countries/poorer people for environmental and climate protection, better protect people from pollutants and pollution); preferred implementation of measures in the area of mobility (e.g. make local public transport cheaper, expand the local public transport network and serve stops more frequently, expand state funding for charging infrastructure for electric vehicles, make charging electric vehicles in public spaces easier and cheaper, create more cycle paths and cycle lanes, set a speed limit of 130 km/h (120 km/h) on freeways, change the distribution of road space so that there is more room for cycling and walking and less for cars, introduce a mileage-based car toll, reduce health risks for people, facilitate the purchase of electric cars through state funding).

5. Environmental attitudes: Agreement with various statements on the environment (I am worried about the environmental conditions we are leaving to future generations, man-made environmental problems such as deforestation or plastic in the oceans outrage me, I am happy when people simply try out sustainable lifestyles, I am annoyed when environmentalists want to tell me how I should live, it makes me angry that Germany is failing to meet its climate protection targets, climate change also threatens the basis of life here in Germany, when it comes to the consequences of climate change, many things are greatly exaggerated, more environmental protection also means a better quality of life and health for everyone, there are natural limits to growth that our industrialized world has long since reached, we should all be prepared to reduce our current standard of living for the sake of the environment, each individual is responsible for ensuring that we leave behind an environment worth living in for future generations, we must find ways to live well independently of economic growth, environmental protection is often used as an excuse to raise prices, we should not consume more raw materials than can be regrown, other things are important for a good life than the environment and nature, we need more economic growth in the future, even if this pollutes the environment, we can only solve our environmental problems by fundamentally restructuring our economy and way of life).

6. Environmental awareness and willingness to change Frequency of different behaviors when buying and using products and services (I buy food from controlled organic cultivation, I buy seasonal food, I drink tap water, when shopping I choose products with an environmental label, I eat meat for my main meals, I cycle, use public transport or walk for my everyday journeys, when buying household appliances I choose appliances with a particularly good energy efficiency rating, I heat my home in winter so that I am warm enough even without a sweater, I consciously limit my everyday consumption); environmentally oriented behavior (donations to environmental or nature conservation groups, active commitment to environmental and nature conservation, purchase of green electricity, I completely or partially avoid air travel for climate protection reasons, I live vegetarian, I live vegan, I pay attention to environmentally and climate-friendly investments in my financial and pension investments, I advocate environmentally friendly changes at my workplace, I take part in demonstrations for environmental and climate protection, I boycott companies that are harmful to the environment and climate, I vote for parties that are committed to environmental and climate protection); future environmentally oriented plans (pay attention to environmentally and climate-friendly investments in my financial and pension investments, campaign for environmentally friendly changes at my workplace, actively engage in environmental and climate protection, donate money to environmental and nature conservation groups, take part in demonstrations for environmental and climate protection, boycott companies that are harmful to the environment and climate, vote for parties that campaign for environmental and climate protection); number of cars in the household; kilometers driven per year; living space in square meters; amount of energy required for the main residence; amount of monthly advance payment for electricity; estimate of the amount of electricity required; air travel in the last 12 months; number of short-haul, medium-haul and long-haul flights; eating habits with regard to the consumption of meat, sausage and fish as well as dairy products per week; consideration of origin and season when buying fruit and vegetables; awareness of electricity labeling; signs or seals when purchasing green electricity; estimated contribution to the energy transition through the purchase of green electricity; assessment of the activities of movements for environmental and climate protection such as Fridays for Future or the Last Generation (I have great respect for people´s commitment, the activists mainly spread exaggerated panic and excitement, the activists are not credible, I support the demands of these movements for more environmental and climate protection, politicians should listen more to the concerns of these movements, peaceful demonstrations have not changed enough, so more radical forms of protest are necessary, forms of protest such as damage to property or sticking oneself to the pavement go too far, the forms of protest must be suitable for winning over the majority in society to one´s own concerns); approval of various aspects of life such as society, work and private life (e.g. B. it is important to me to be able to contribute new ideas and give impulses, I trust in the forces of the free market, there are few opportunities for people like me to achieve anything these days, sometimes I consciously afford the very best quality, I have enough to do with my own problems and can´t worry about others, etc.); importance in life: I have to be able to contribute new ideas and give impulses. ); importance in life: to have the latest technology, to wear the latest fashionable clothes, to travel a lot and experience a lot, to buy as cheaply as possible, to buy fairly produced and traded products, to own a car, to earn a lot of money, to live in a democracy; fair share of the standard of living; agreement with statements on climate change (I am afraid of the consequences of climate change, I personally often lack the opportunities to do something for climate protection, with good technology we will solve the problem of climate change without having to fundamentally change our way of life, the German climate protection targets should be more ambitious, industrialized countries like Germany have an international obligation, more environmental and climate protection is detrimental to our industry, if we do not slow down global warming quickly, this will result in enormous economic damage, I am concerned that it is above all ordinary people who will have to bear the burden of environmental and climate policy); Importance of various areas of environmental protection (make climate-damaging products more expensive so that climate-friendly products become more competitive, continuously tighten the ecological requirements for products, technologies and services, label climate-friendly products better, promote the development of climate-friendly products and technologies more strongly, reduce climate-damaging subsidies); self-assessment of being informed about climate change and climate protection; cause of climate change; conviction that Germany can overcome the climate problems.

Demography: sex; age; education: highest school-leaving qualification or university degree; current main occupation; renting or home ownership; household size; household composition; number of children in household up to 5 years, from 6 to 10 years, from 11 to 13 years, from 14 to 17 years and 18 years or older; number of hours per week for unpaid housework and care work; self or one of the parents not born in Germany; net household income (classified); occupational group of current or last occupation; city size; place of residence (rural vs. urban); federal state; severe disability; chronic illness; party preference; interest in politics.

Additionally coded was: ID; device used; weighting factor; sample identifier; interview duration in minutes; query speed limit of 130 km/h or query speed limit of 120 km/h; area west/east; gender; age groups; education; net household income (summarized); net equivalent income (grouped); city size; migration background; residential status.