Do Germans support Germany’s energy transition?

Although people in Europe’s largest economy continue to support the energy transition, the topic is becoming increasingly polarised, finds a study released by the BMW Foundation Herbert Quandt.

The Energy Transition Future Monitor 2026 - conducted by the Allensbach Institute and commissioned by the BMW Foundation Herbert Quandt – finds that 43% of those surveyed continue to consider the energy transition, with the nuclear phase-out and the expansion of renewable energies, to be the right path.

Compared to figures from 2012, when the number was 73%, the sentiment is less than enthusiastic.

The study, released during the Munich Security Conference, finds that doubts about the country’s path to net zero are particularly pronounced in East Germany, where only 33% support it. 

Commenting in a release was Heba Aguib, Member of the Board of Directors of the BMW Foundation, who called the figures a wake-up call. 

"Energy is a dominant factor in geopolitics and, at the same time, a limiting factor in the global AI race. A true 'Zeitenwende' can only succeed with a consistent energy transition. For that, societal support is needed."

Energy security is among the central topics of the current geopolitical shifts, especially for a country like Germany with few energy resources. 

Aguib emphasises: "It is about affordable, secure, and clean energy. This requires a diversified energy strategy, the expansion of efficient grids, and targeted support for society. Anyone who wants to protect Germany must defend the energy transition."

Risk or opportunity?

According to the report, for the first time, a relative majority of Germans associate the energy transition primarily with risks rather than opportunities. 

For 37% of citizens, the energy transition is mainly linked to risks, for 28% it is more associated with opportunities, and for one in four, risks and opportunities balance out. Concerns focus especially on rising energy prices, changes to the landscape, and uncertainty about energy supply security.

More than three-quarters of respondents expect the energy transition to place heavy financial burdens on both households and the economy. Many fear negative effects on Germany’s competitiveness, traditional industries, and jobs, while only a minority expects significant economic benefits or falling electricity prices.

A large share of the population remains concerned about the consequences of global warming. However, in light of multiple overlapping crises in recent years, support for climate protection has declined. According to the report, 33% of the German population aged 16 and older are very concerned about the effects of climate change, 40% are somewhat concerned, and 21% report no concerns.

Implementation scepticism and state support

Another noteworthy finding from the report is that not only is overall support for the energy transition declining, even among supporters of the energy transition, doubts are growing about whether policymakers are choosing the right measures and the right pace. 

Within one year, among supporters of the energy transition, the share of those who have the impression that Germany is taking the right measures in implementing the energy transition fell from 52 to 33%. Conversely, the group expressing doubts about the measures taken has grown since January of this year from 14 to 26%.

According to the report, a key factor driving this development is that the public does not feel it can plan with certainty and, above all, feels financially overburdened. 

Over the past few years, the share of the population that believes the energy transition is being implemented at the right pace has declined from 28 to 15%. At the same time, both the proportion of those who feel overwhelmed by the speed of implementation (rising from 18 to 28%) and the proportion who believe the implementation is progressing too slowly (from 27 to 32%) have increased.

A majority of the population also does not perceive that the change in government has brought about any significant shift in energy policy. 

According to the report, nearly one in two is convinced that the current federal government is continuing the course of the unpopular 'traffic light' coalition on the energy transition; by contrast, only just under one in three has the impression that the current government is pursuing a different course. Even supporters of the governing parties largely believe that the change in government has brought little change to the direction of energy policy.

However, despite the scepticism about implementation and the government's course of action, the report adds that there is strong public backing for state involvement. 

A clear majority of 66% believes that the government should financially support the expansion of renewable energy and citizen-led energy projects. Photovoltaic systems, in particular, are widely seen as making an important contribution to energy security.

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A German reality check

BMW Foundation’s 2026 monitor is not the first one they have conducted on the German population about the acceptance of the energy transition.

In January 2025, they conducted a representative survey, which showed that while a majority of the German population is convinced of the necessity of the energy transition, a large share doubts its implementation and the chosen path. 

However, following the change of government in May 2025, energy policy underwent several strategic realignments. 

For instance, in September, the Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy, Katherina Reiche, presented an energy policy plan to enhance the efficiency and affordability of the energy transition. 

Dubbed the ‘reality check’ report, the 10-point plan aims to achieve climate neutrality while ensuring that Germany remains competitive. According to the report, while the goal of having renewables provide 80% of electricity by 2030 remains in place, there is still a need for a more realistic, pragmatic approach. The expansion of renewable energies, it adds, is to be more closely coordinated with the expansion of grids and storage facilities and with actual system load.

As outlined by law firm Gleiss Lutz, the 10-point plan elicited a mixed response from across the sector. 

Energy-intensive industries welcomed the proposals, especially in light of continuing high electricity prices. Associations such as the German Chemicals Industry Association (Verband der Chemischen Industrie), the German Association of Local Public Utilities (Verband kommunaler Unternehmen) and the German Association of Energy and Water Industries (Bundesverband der Energie- und Wasserwirtschaft) also reacted mostly positively. They see the reforms as the foundation for a much more efficient, business-friendly energy system and called for swift implementation.

The renewable energy industry however, voiced some sharp criticism. The German Association of Energy Market Innovators (Bundesverband Neue Energiewirtschaft), the German Solar Association (Bundesverband Solarwirtschaft) and Environmental Action Germany (Deutsche Umwelthilfe) cautioned that the plan would slow the expansion of renewables. The proposed cuts to subsidies for rooftop PV systems were a particular bone of contention.

It was against this backdrop that the BMW Foundation Herbert Quandt again commissioned the Institute for Demoscopy Allensbach to conduct a representative survey of the population.