Survey: Two-thirds of Germans see a link between heat and climate change

But can climate action in Germany help against this? On this question, the result was less clear-cut. Of all respondents, 49 percent expressed the expectation that climate action in Germany could help mitigate such extreme heat phases. Again, 41 percent said that climate action in Germany cannot make a difference.

Belief in the effectiveness of climate action

The political affiliation of respondents also clearly shapes their answer behavior. Among supporters of the Greens, 96 percent (90 percent in a second question) were convinced that there is a connection between the record heat and global warming. Among SPD supporters it was 86 percent (67 percent in a variant), among Die Linke 84 percent (67 percent), and among the Union 73 percent (48 percent).

Differences by party

Support was notably lower among supporters of the FDP and BSW. Among FDP voters, 64 percent (44 percent) recognized the connection; among the Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) it was 60 percent (34 percent).

AfD supporters particularly skeptical

Particularly striking is the skepticism among AfD supporters. Here, only 29 percent saw a connection between the heatwave and climate change, while 60 percent denied it. On the question of the effectiveness of German climate policy, just 16 percent of AfD supporters said it could make a difference.

In June, temperatures in Germany broke records. The associated health burden was significant: According to RKI estimates, around 5,100 people died during the heatwave, underscoring the urgency with which policymakers and society must respond to such extreme weather events.

The survey illustrates that while there is a clear majority among the German population for the connection between heat and climate change, the conviction that national climate policy can make a difference is considerably weaker. Perception diverges markedly along party lines.

The discrepancy between the scientific finding and individual risk perception thus remains a challenge. While 66 percent of respondents see climate change as the cause of the heat records, more than a third doubt the effectiveness of policy countermeasures.