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Public support for carbon pricing is persistent in Germany

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Research area:Public economicsEconomic Policies and ImpactsSustainability and Climate Change Governance

What the study found

The study found that public support for carbon pricing in Germany is very persistent over time. It also found that people facing high energy costs tend to reduce their support, and that support for using the revenue for social cushioning has grown while support for green spending has declined.

Why the authors say this matters

The authors conclude that climate policies need to be adapted in response to increased energy costs. The study suggests this is important because public support for carbon pricing and for different uses of its revenue can change under those conditions.

What the researchers tested

The researchers used unique longitudinal data from three surveys conducted between 2019 and 2022 in Germany. They applied panel methods to examine how support for carbon pricing and for revenue use changed over time.

What worked and what didn't

Support for carbon pricing remained stable across time. Support decreased among people with high energy costs. For revenue use, social cushioning became more popular over time, while support for green spending decreased.

What to keep in mind

The available summary does not describe detailed limitations or caveats. The findings are specific to Germany and to the survey period from 2019 to 2022.

Key points

  • Support for carbon pricing in Germany was very persistent over time.
  • People who incurred high energy costs became less supportive of carbon pricing.
  • Support for using carbon-pricing revenue for social cushioning increased over time.
  • Support for using revenue for green spending decreased over time.
  • The study used longitudinal survey data from 2019 to 2022 and panel methods.

Disclosure

Research title:
Public support for carbon pricing is persistent in Germany
Authors:
Stephan Sommer, Théo Konc, Stefan Drews
Institutions:
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, RWI – Leibniz Institute for Economic Research, Technische Universität Berlin, Universidad de Málaga, Wageningen University & Research
Publication date:
2026-02-24
DOI:
10.1016/j.ecolecon.2026.108970
OpenAlex record:
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AI provenance: This post was generated by gpt-5.4-mini (OpenAI). The original authors did not write or review this post.