Climate protection in times of Corona

Climate change and climate protection have received a great deal of media and public attention in recent years. However, in view of the immense social, health and economic impacts of the Corona crisis, the question arises whether these issues are still relevant among the population. The Department of Empirical Economics at the University of Kassel investigated this question in a recent survey by examining the approval of climate policy measures as well as climate protection-oriented economic stimulus packages.

The study was written by Andreas Ziegler, Professor of Empirical Economic Research at the University of Kassel, and Dr. Gunnar Gutsche, Elke Groh and Daniel Engler, staff members at the department. "In summary, we can say that we cannot detect a general decline in the acceptance of climate policy measures in the wake of the Corona pandemic," Prof. Ziegler describes. In addition, about 46% of the population in Germany is in favor of including climate and environmental protection measures in economic stimulus packages to overcome the Corona crisis. Only about 22% are fundamentally opposed to this.    

However, it is apparent that economic concerns are of particular relevance. For example, a perceived worsening of the general economic situation due to the Corona crisis has a significant negative impact on the acceptance of climate protection-oriented economic stimulus programs. Together with his team, Prof. Ziegler therefore proposes to provide even more intensive information on the primarily long-term positive economic aspects of such stimulus packages. In part, this perspective has already been taken up by the German government: With reference to the long-term ecological, but also economic effects, the scrappage premium, which was demanded above all by the automotive industry, was not included in the recently adopted economic stimulus package.

Majority in favor of introducing speed limit

In addition, the data show that people who fear personal financial cuts because of the Corona crisis in particular have a significantly stronger negative attitude toward climate policy measures that directly lead to higher costs in everyday life. Especially_{CO2 pricing} and increasing taxes on meat and dairy products are met with rejection by this part of the sample. "What we find interesting here is that a negative attitude does not necessarily require an actual loss of income; the mere fear that one's own economic situation will deteriorate is sufficient for a negative basic attitude toward climate policy measures," says Ziegler. Another interesting result of the study: a majority of around 54% of the more than 1,500 respondents is in favor of introducing a speed limit on highways.

In addition to the relevance of economic self-interest, however, social aspects also play a role. For example, socio-politically oriented individuals are significantly more likely to agree with climate policy measures that are also financially beneficial for socially disadvantaged groups. In contrast, measures that are financially unfavorable for these groups tend to be rejected. According to Ziegler, "successful climate protection policy should therefore also be socially oriented and include compensatory measures, such as tax increases."

Background

The representative survey was conducted as part of the "NostaClimate" project funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMFB). This project is actually about the influence of non-state actors on the achievement of the climate targets set in the Paris Agreement. However, due to the Corona crisis, this sub-study relevant to climate policy was launched. 

The study can be viewed online at:

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14693062.2020.1864269

Contact

Prof. Dr. Andreas Ziegler

E-mail: andreas.ziegler[at]uni-kassel[dot]de