A voter backlash against costly climate measures, such as Germany’s contentious heating reforms, contributed to a shift in February’s election, ousting the Greens from government, according to Euractiv.
Yet an emerging faction of conservatives is reframing environmentalism as a patriotic duty in a bid to win over sceptics of traditional green politics.
Germany’s green movement has faced growing resistance from rural and conservative voters. Now, groups like Heimatwurzeln (“Homeland Roots”) are pitching climate action as a means to strengthen national sovereignty and rural prosperity. Florian Wagner, the group’s executive director, recalled his efforts to help rebuild his flood-ravaged Ahr Valley hometown in 2021.
Environment and climate protection are not the opposite of patriotism, they are its expression.
The organisation argues that renewable energy will reduce reliance on foreign imports and benefit local communities rather than corporations. The framing seeks to counter the national-oriented Alternative for Germany (AfD), which has gained ground by attacking “woke” climate policies like wind turbines and electric vehicles.
Daniel Müller, Heimatwurzeln’s policy director and a former Christian Democratic speechwriter, insists that climate action must include the 40% of Germans traditionally resistant to green agendas. He believes that limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees is still possible if conservatives unite.
Compromise on Green transition
Despite campaign rhetoric criticising overreach by the previous government, Germany’s incoming Christian Democrat-led coalition has not abandoned the country’s legally binding 2045 net-zero target. Even Friedrich Merz, the likely next chancellor, acknowledges that decarbonisation remains essential both for EU compliance and to keep pace with global energy shifts.
Within the party, the KlimaUnion (“Climate Union”) faction is pushing back against any rollback of climate laws, arguing that replacements must be at least as effective to avoid unconstitutional breaches. Their influence was evident in coalition talks, where negotiators like Mark Helfrich ensured climate policy remained central to the final agreement.
The coalition deal signals a pragmatic approach: controversial measures like the Building Energy Act, once lambasted by conservatives for its expensive heating system mandates, will be revised rather than scrapped. The agreement’s opening chapter declares an intent to “remain an industrialised country while becoming climate-neutral,” balancing economic concerns with environmental goals.
As Germany navigates this shift, the conservative embrace of a patriotic green agenda may prove crucial in maintaining momentum toward net-zero without alienating voters who rejected the Greens’ progressive vision.
