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Despite their high societal relevance, donations for nature, environmental and climate protection account for only 3.3 per cent of total donations in Germany. Overall, Germans donate just 0.39 per cent of their income, placing Germany second to last in an international comparison. These are some of the findings of a study on donation volumes and donation behavior in the fields of nature, environmental and climate protection, conducted by ConPolicy on behalf of the German Environment Agency (UBA). Methodologically, the study was based on a literature review, secondary data analysis, and focus groups.
Donations offer private individuals an opportunity to personally contribute to climate, environmental, and nature protection. Whether people make financial contributions depends strongly on the importance they attach to environmental and climate protection; age and level of education also play a significant role. However, a pronounced intention–behaviour gap can be observed: younger and highly educated individuals often express a strong willingness to engage but are less likely to do so in practice. CO₂ offsetting is used even less frequently than traditional donations overall, with individual flight frequency and the degree of urbanization of the living environment being key influencing factors.
Donation behavior differs markedly in terms of motives, expectations, and patterns. While experienced donors tend to look for transparency, demonstrable impact and long-term leverage effects, less experienced donors are more likely to donate spontaneously or on specific occasions. Barriers to donating arise primarily from a lack of transparency, fundraising perceived as overly aggressive, and uncertainties regarding the actual effectiveness of projects. This effectiveness is often difficult to measure, as many projects have indirect impacts. Overall, donations for nature, environmental and climate protection in Germany fall short of their potential.
All results in detail can be found here.
Further information on the project is available here.