Analysen Klimapolitik; Ideologie schlägt Information: Über die Grenzen von Kommunikation in der Klimapolitik

One argument is omnipresent in the political debate on climate policy: if only citizens were better informed, then they would also vote in favour. Resistance to proposed legislation such as the German Building Energy Act (GEG) is often seen as a result of a lack of communication – not as an expression of fundamental opposition. But is this assumption really true? A new study of 2,668 residential property owners in Germany investigates this question as part of a survey experiment. Does factually correct and comprehensive information about the GEG increase approval of the measure and does it influence behaviour? The central result is surprising: information alone is not enough – acceptance depends much more on the basic ideological convictions of the respondents. This finding is particularly relevant for economic policy makers who are faced with the challenge of designing and implementing transformative climate policy.