Extreme heat experience influences public support for local climate adaptation policies in Germany

Extreme heat events, made more frequent and severe by climate change, are negatively impacting human populations across the world. Understanding how populations are being impacted, especially among the most vulnerable, is therefore a policy imperative. We contribute to this understanding by investigating experiences of Germans following the summer of 2022, a season noteworthy for extreme temperatures throughout Europe. We conducted a survey of German residents (n = 2356) and found that a wide majority (85%) reported negative impacts from heat, including difficulty falling asleep, discomfort, and decreased productivity. These impacts occurred more frequently for vulnerable groups, such as the financially insecure. Furthermore, we found that living in areas with more frequent high temperature days (i.e., objective heat experience) corresponded to higher reported impacts from heat. We then identified factors influencing support for local governmental policies related to heat adaptation. We found broad support among those who reported higher levels of heat impacts, with support for some policies, such as subsidizing residential air conditioning, associated with higher objective heat experience. Our research reinforces the urgent need for comprehensive policies that protect Germans from heat, with a focus on the most vulnerable, as heat impacts are projected to only worsen under future warming.

Automated summary

Extreme heat events caused by climate change have negative impacts on human populations worldwide. A survey of German residents revealed that a majority reported negative impacts from heat, such as difficulty sleeping and decreased productivity. These impacts were more frequent for vulnerable groups and were also influenced by objective heat experience. Support for local governmental policies related to heat adaptation was higher among those who reported higher levels of heat impacts.