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Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon publishes study results on citizens' risk awareness of climate change
Climate change is perceptible and poses a threat to Hamburg. The majority of respondents in the study “Hamburg citizens' risk awareness of climate change 2025” conducted by the Helmholtz -Zentrum Hereon agree on this. Most people see storm surges, heavy rain and heatwaves as the greatest dangers. However, this majority includes significantly fewer teenagers and young adults than in the previous year. The proportion of men has also fallen.
For the 18th time in a row, Hereon scientist Prof. Beate Ratter, in collaboration with the opinion research institute Forsa, asked Hamburg citizens how they perceive climate change and its consequences. Ratter heads the Department of Coastal Socioeconomics at the Hereon Institute of Coastal Systems - Analysis and Modeling and is a professor at the University of Hamburg. “With this long-term study, we are investigating the deep-seated attitudes towards climate change as well as trends that determine social attitudes beyond day-to-day discussions,” says Ratter. The results can also be used to derive potential for climate-adapted action. “This is particularly important in terms of how society deals with climate change.”
In this year's survey, 63 percent of participants stated that they perceive climate change as a major or very major threat. Although this is 3 percent less than in 2024, it is still a clear majority. Risk awareness thus remains at a high level. “However, the observation that the proportion of younger respondents aged 14 to 29 who see climate change as a major threat has fallen by a considerable 11 percentage points compared to last year is cause for concern,” says Ratter. The trend among male respondents is also particularly striking. The proportion of those who see climate change as a major threat fell from 44 percent to 35 percent.
More attention for other crises
Ratter attributes the decline in risk awareness for climate change to the fact that other social challenges, international crises, wars and national debates are receiving more attention. “People's attitudes and perceptions of an issue can fluctuate greatly,” explains Ratter. “They are not only influenced by current discussions, but also by the wording of the questions and, as we were also able to show, even by the actual weather during the survey.” The Hamburg citizens were surveyed in the spring of 2025, when the Bundestag elections dominated the news in Germany. Temperatures, precipitation and water levels in Hamburg were within the normal range at the time. “The Forsa surveys from previous years also show that current media discourse had a significant influence on public perception of problems in Hamburg,” adds Johanna Nicolaysen, research assistant at Hereon. She has once again helped to evaluate the results this year.
Heatwaves perceived more strongly as a threat
There was also a clear change this year when it came to the question of which natural disaster would have the most serious consequences for Hamburg. 11 percent of respondents mentioned heatwaves - that is 3 percent more than in the previous year. Heavy rainfall events lost slightly in importance and now account for 12 percentage points. Storm surges were mentioned most frequently at 70 percent.
Majority uses warning and weather apps
61 percent of respondents stated that they are already feeling the effects of climate change in Hamburg. Although this figure has fallen by 5 percent compared to the previous year, it is still the second-highest measured value since the survey began. Almost as many respondents (60 percent) consider it possible to be personally affected by a natural disaster. In order to prepare for extreme weather events, the majority of respondents (76 percent) uses warning and weather apps or plans to install them. Half of those surveyed stated that they stockpile water, food and medicines for emergencies (+2 percent) and organize neighborly help (+5 percent).
Participants in the study were also asked about the biggest problems in Hamburg in general. The climate came in at the bottom of the list with 7 percentage points. The majority is most concerned about traffic (42 percent), followed by rents and housing (40 percent) and education policy (21 percent).
Wish for effective climate policy
National and international crises are competing with climate change for attention. Nevertheless, the wish for reliable precautions and effective climate policy remains stable, according to study director Beate Ratter. In 2022, the Hamburg Senate decided to be CO2-neutral by 2045. Hamburg's climate targets stipulate a 70 percent reduction in CO2 emissions by 2030 compared to the base year 1990. “However, more effort is needed to achieve these targets - from all sides,” says Ratter.
Background to the study
The long-term study “Hamburg citizens' risk awareness of climate change” has been conducted annually since 2008. Every year, around 500 respondents answer four questions about their perception of climate change in a telephone survey conducted by Forsa. Since 2019, respondents have also been asked about personal precautionary measures and, since 2010, their opinion on Hamburg's most important problems. The study results from all years are publicly available.
Cutting-edge research for a changing world
Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon`s scientific research aims at preserving a world worth living in. To this end, around 1000 employees generate knowledge and research new technologies for greater resilience and sustainability - for the benefit of the climate, the coast and people. The path from idea to innovation leads through a continuous interplay between experimental studies, modeling and AI to digital twins that map the diverse parameters of climate and coast or human biology in the computer. This is an interdisciplinary approach that spans from the fundamental scientific understanding of complex systems to scenarios and practical applications. As an active member of national and international research networks and the Helmholtz Association, Hereon supports politics, business and society in shaping a sustainable future by transferring the expertise it has gained.
Prof. Dr. Beate Ratter
Head of Department
Institute of Coastal Systems – Analysis and Modeling
Tel: +49 (0) 4152 87-1527
Mail: beate.ratter@hereon.de
https://hereon.de/imperia/md/assets/main/institutes/coastal_systems/human_dimens...
German only
http://All studies 2008-2025: Hamburg citizens' risk awareness of climate change: Studien https://hereon.de/hamburgrisiko (German only)
http://Institute of Coastal Systems – Analysis and Modeling
https://www.hereon.de/institutes/coastal_systems_analysis_modeling/index.php.en
Criteria of this press release:
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Environment / ecology, Oceanology / climate, Social studies
transregional, national
Research results, Scientific Publications
English
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