Citizens in Bavaria are more willing to accept wind turbines on their own doorstep if they gain economic advantages as a result. For example, 58 percent of the people in Bavaria would accept the construction of wind turbines in their own community if jobs in the region could be preserved as a result, as a representative survey commissioned by the Climate Neutral Germany Initiative (IKND) revealed. Also 58 percent would support construction on site if the community would benefit financially from it; 60 percent if this means that competitiveness and prosperity are maintained in Bavaria. A building would have the greatest acceptance if it reduced its own electricity costs – then 65 percent would be in favor of it.
“The acceptance has turned for the better,” said Carolin Friedemann, Managing Director of the IKND, at the presentation of the survey results on Monday in Munich. From her point of view, no other federal state has such good prerequisites for becoming climate-neutral as quickly as possible than Bavaria: In the largest federal state there is a lot of sun, a lot of wind, a strong economy, excellent administration and a committed civil society.
How Bavaria organizes its energy supply is also a decisive factor for the state elections in October, said Friedemann. 52 percent of those surveyed stated that it was important for their voting decision whether the candidates were committed to a clean and sustainable energy supply. 58 percent were of the opinion that the Bavarian government should do more to achieve the state’s climate goals. About half of the people in Bavaria (48.2 percent) are worried about Bavaria as a business location because the expansion of renewable energies is progressing too slowly.
Since the Russian attack on Ukraine, people have been more dependent than ever on renewable energies in order to keep jobs in Bavaria and ensure prosperity, said Bernhard Stiedl, chairman of the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) in Bavaria. The future of the economy and jobs is at stake. Ecology and social issues are not contradictory: “We need both: secure jobs with good wages, but also an intact environment and affordable energy,” said the Bavarian DGB chairman.
According to its own statements, the Climate Neutral Germany Initiative (IKND) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization based in Munich. In February and March 2023, 2000 people in Bavaria were interviewed in the survey, which was carried out by the opinion and market research company Civey on behalf of the IKND. The results of the online survey are said to be representative of residents in Bavaria aged 18 and over.