Surveys of U.S. and German climate activists point to differences in priorities and approaches, Craig Morris of Petite Planète and political scientist Arne Jungjohann write in an analysis on Grist.
In the U.S., the top three priorities are to expand the climate movement, fight fossil fuels, and enforce existing climate policies like the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan. In Germany, the accent is on accelerating the coal phase-out, assuring the success of this year’s landmark climate negotiations in Paris, and extending the energy transition beyond the power sector.
The comparison reveals that American activists “are fighting stronger components,” Grist reports. “They have a much more uphill battle than their German colleagues, and this fiercer opposition must be kept in mind before we overly praise the Germans for what looks like greater progress on renewables.”
Campaigns in Germany focus on new legislation, while efforts in the U.S. aim to enforce existing measures and build a stronger movement. And while U.S. activists pay closer attention to racial and economic equality, “the German responses reveal a more international focus,” with greater accent on international climate negotiations.
