Support for renewable energy lowest in France, Germany

Nearly every second citizen in Germany and France is either negative towards renewable energies or does not have an opinion on them, according to a recent survey conducted across 26 European countries.

Only 66% of the total people surveyed had a positive view of the green energy transition, according to the study, conducted by the Norstat Research Institute in Denmark and published on 8 December.

France and Germany, the EU’s two most populous countries, are the most sceptical about renewable energy, with only 54% and 57% respectively showing positive attitudes.

On the other hand, small countries such as Croatia, Denmark and Portugal are much more enthusiastic about renewables, with 80%, 78% and 75% of citizens respectively in favour.

The survey was conducted among 26,000 Europeans aged between 18 and 65 based on a minimum of 1,000 nationally representative interviews in each country.

“It is concerning that the strongest resistance to the green energy transition is observed in the most populous European countries,” said Jesper Hjulmand, CEO of Andel, the Danish energy and fibre network company which commissioned the survey.

“Europe must establish stability and ensure a secure energy supply,” he added in a statement, referring to recent years when people were exposed to high energy bills while staying heavily reliant on fossil fuels.

Reservations on wind power

In France, the survey illustrates deep-seated scepticism about wind energy projects, which have often faced opposition from local populations.

Only 42% of French people have a positive opinion of wind farms in their own country, according to the survey, one of the lowest among EU countries.

The issue has become a political argument for the far-right Rassemblement National (RN) party, which vowed to “stop all new construction of wind turbines” and launch “a major project to dismantle them” ahead of last year’s presidential election.

In Germany, Bavaria is the strictest when it comes to onshore wind, with the so-called 10H rule which stipulates that the minimum distance between a turbine and the nearest settlement must be 10 times the height of the turbine.

Bavaria has only installed six new wind turbines this year, compared with 14 in neighbouring Baden-Württemberg, which is half the size. And even though the 10H rule was somewhat relaxed last year, it is still in place.

Here again, the rise of Germany’s far-right AfD party coincides with a rejection of the environmental policies pursued by the government coalition formed by the Social Democrats (SPD), the Green (Grüne), and the liberal Free Democrats (FDP).

“The AfD doubts fundamental scientific findings on man-made climate change and considers corresponding climate protection measures to be unnecessary,” remarks Christoph Richter of the Institute for Democracy and Civil Society.

The AfD’s climate policy is simple: yes to fossil fuels and nuclear power, no to wind power, he told Deutsche Welle.

The challenge of acceptability

And it’s not just about wind turbines. According to the survey, the French are among the least positive in Europe towards solar parks in their own country, with only 57% expressing positive views, on par with the Dutch.

In contrast to large EU member states, smaller countries tend to see renewables as an opportunity to gain autonomy and move away from their dependence on fossil fuels.

Denmark is a good example, with 79% of the population in favour of green energy. Moreover, just over half of Danes are in favour of living near wind turbines, even though they have the shortest permitted distance (up to 1 km) between a wind farm and their homes in Europe.

“I’m pleased to observe the enthusiasm for the green transition among the Danes, and this trend is noticeable in several other countries. I attribute this largely to the collaborative efforts of politicians, businesses, and citizens,” Andel’s Hjulmand said.

“It’s crucial that we collectively explore how to be supportive neighbours for the green transition in the future,” Hjulmand says.

Another aspect raised by the study is that support for renewable energy does not vary significantly between age groups.

“The younger generation tends to express its support for local renewable energy projects more clearly, while the older generations, who are also in favour of such initiatives, often remain silent, allowing sceptics to dominate the debate,” said Rikke Trikker, a spokesperson for Andel.

As a result, public debate may not accurately reflect the wider spectrum of public opinion. “To achieve a more nuanced discussion, it is essential to engage and amplify the voices of the silent majority of supporters,” Trikker told Euractiv.

[Edited by Frédéric Simon/Nathalie Weatherald]

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