German citizens urge politicians to do more to restore nature

People in Germany, across all political parties, strongly back the EU Nature Restoration Law, with 85% of the citizens interviewed in favour. Furthermore, a clear majority of around three-quarters (73%) would like to see even stronger political commitment to its implementation.

This is demonstrated by a recent representative public opinion poll of 5,000 people conducted by the polling institute Civey on behalf of NABU [1]. The survey also found that people consider the state of nature to play a key role in the quality of life in their region, both in rural and densely populated areas, with around 95% of respondents stating that nature is important for their quality of life.

The survey highlights as well the close link between nature restoration and climate change: over 60% of respondents cited climate protection and climate change adaptation as important reasons for restoring nature. Even more frequently mentioned were “preserving biodiversity” (71%) and “clean drinking water” (74%). When asked which consequences of climate change concern them most, respondents nationwide most often mentioned drought (58%), followed by heat (46%) and heavy rainfall (41%). However, the figures vary significantly by region.

Jörg-Andreas Krüger, president of NABU, says: “The survey clearly shows that people expect politicians to act now and take concrete measures to protect and restore nature. The federal states now have the opportunity to take up this mandate from the public and make nature restoration in Germany a success. Further delays and purely principled debates are not in line with the will of the people: they expect politicians to take action and deliver solutions.”

The Nature Restoration Law, adopted in 2024, is the first EU law to establish a binding framework aimed at halting the ongoing loss of nature. It seeks to restore damaged ecosystems so they can once again perform essential functions such as water retention and carbon storage. The federal and state governments are currently working together to develop national restoration plans that outline legal, policy, and project-based measures, with the federal states primarily responsible for implementing regionally tailored actions.

You can find a briefing of the survey here.

NOTES

[1] The survey was conducted by the polling institute Civey on behalf of NABU from September 4 to 13, 2025. Over 5,000 German citizens aged 18 and older participated in the representative sample, while up to 10,000 respondents answered questions with results reported at the district level. All data were collected from verified participants.

Photo: Lars Soerink