German Election 2025: Why Climate and Environmental Issues Are Being Overlooked

When Olaf Scholz from the Social Democratic Party (SPD) became Chancellor of Germany in late 2021, he welcomed the title of “Climate Chancellor.” The fight against climate change was a major theme of the election. The coalition government, made up of the SPD, Greens, and Free Democratic Party (FDP), put climate issues under the economy ministry, headed by Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck from the Greens.

Fast forward three years, and the focus has shifted. Now, discussions revolve mainly around immigration and the sluggish economy, while climate protection gets little attention from political leaders.

Friedrich Merz, the leader of the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), has criticized Germany’s 29,000 wind turbines. He has even suggested dismantling them, claiming they are unattractive. The CDU prefers exploring nuclear fusion as an energy source, despite years of stagnation in this technology. Last year, renewable energy, including wind and solar, contributed around 56% to Germany’s energy production. Yet, Merz also aims to restart the nuclear power plants that shut down in 2023, overlooking the goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 65% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels.

Climate expert Martin Kaiser from Greenpeace expressed concern, stating that ignoring the climate crisis in the election campaign is “incomprehensible and irresponsible.” He emphasized the need for a consistent climate policy.

Chancellor Scholz recently supported importing more oil and liquefied gas from the U.S. He believes this could help lower energy prices. However, environmental advocates like Heike Vesper from WWF argue that this will only exacerbate the climate crisis, leading to massive economic damage.

The Greens continue to prioritize climate issues. Environment Minister Steffi Lemke criticized the other parties for opposing climate protection, stressing its necessity.

Yet, setbacks have plagued climate policies under the previous coalition. The government faced a financial blow when the Constitutional Court ruled against using €60 billion intended for climate protection, leading to cuts in various programs, including electric car incentives.

Amid all this, Economy Minister Habeck struggled to push through a new law requiring renewable energy for heating systems in new buildings, leading to a contentious public debate. Overall, the different parties have avoided making bold moves to reduce CO2 emissions.

As the upcoming election approaches, the urgency of climate issues remains overshadowed by other pressing topics, despite ongoing climate-related disasters. Lisa Badum from the Greens reminded us that extreme weather events are always just around the corner, highlighting the urgency for Germany and Europe to take meaningful action on climate change.

This article was originally written in German.

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