Environment remains high on citizens' agenda

The protection of the environment remains high on the political agenda, in spite of high unemployment and an ailing economy. 93 per cent of the population consider environmental protection to beimportant or very important; it thus occupies the fourth rank in the priority list of current political issues. This is the result of a representative survey conducted by Professor Udo Kuckartz, apolitical scientist at Marburg University, and the EMNID Institute on behalf of the Federal Environment Ministry (BMU) and the Federal Environmental Agency (UBA) at the beginning of this year. Thestudy is the eighth in a series of studies showing the development of environmental awareness in the population, commissioned by UBA and BMU at regular intervals since 1991. The last such study wasconducted in 2000.

It is noteworthy that the importance attached to environmental protection as a political task has grown considerably since 1998, with an increase from 38 to 52 per cent of respondents. Governmentaction to protect the environment is expressly favoured by the public, and there is a high level of personal commitment. Thus 9 per cent of respondents have personally become active in theircommunities, and 47 per cent could image that they would. "This confirms us in our efforts to strengthen community commitment, for example through funding for citizens' groups, which we haveincreased by more than 50 per cent over the last four years, but also through introduction of the right of associations to take legal action (Verbandsklagerecht), established in the new FederalNature Conservation Act."

"The data shows that our new course in environmental and energy policy since the last general election meets with approval among the public. People want more action to protect the environment. Atthe same time, they are to a great extent willing to set a good example and take over responsibility. Government action and citizen commitment - that is a good, viable mixture."

For Federal Environment Minister Jürgen Trittin, the views expressed by the respondents on a number of individual points of the Government's environmental policy reflect a clear endorsement:94 per cent of respondents support the new Federal Nature Conservation Act, while 73 per cent support the introduction of deposits on cans and 75 per cent refuse or would prefer not to buygenetically modified foodstuffs. The Government's climate protection policy also receives a positive rating: 94 per cent of respondents believe greenhouse gas reduction to be very important or ratherimportant, while 47 are in favour of Germany taking the lead in climate protection. 79 per cent of respondents support the principle of the eco-tax, although, when specifically asked about theirapproval of the eco-tax itself, only 29 per cent responded in favour. It will be important to bear this in mind when the ecological tax reform goes into the next round.

The Federal Government's environmental policy meets with approval, and not only in certain fields. 65 per cent of respondents feel politicians should do even more for environmental protection,while only 3 per cent said they should do less. "This is further evidence of the importance people attach to protection of the environment. It should first and foremost be seen as encouragement toonce again step up our efforts in this area", Trittin said. It fits in with this assessment that 46 per cent of respondents would like to see more extensive media coverage of environmentalissues.

While environmental quality in Germany is altogether rated as good by a majority of those surveyed (77 per cent), and as very good in their communities by 17 per cent, 80 per cent of respondentsrate global environmental quality as rather poor or even very poor. The survey showed road traffic and the resulting high levels of noise and air pollution to be the most urgent problems at communitylevel.

The above data is a clear indication of the fact that the way of looking at the automobile is becoming more and more differentiated. More than anything else, CO2 emissions are viewed with acritical eye. The overwhelming majority of respondents therefore favour the "clean car" which does not pollute the environment and the development of local public transport systems (85 per cent) andbicycle path networks (82 per cent). 83 per cent of those surveyed are in favour of establishing more home zones in residential areas, and 65 per cent would like to see a general speed limit of 30kmh imposed in urban areas, with the exception of main traffic arteries. Federal Environment Minister Trittin: "This is where it becomes obvious that the traffic planning of the Länder and localauthorities, which still tends to give priority to cars, runs counter to the needs of our citizens."