On January 27, 2026, the German Climate Consortium (DKK) held an expert discussion with the CLICCCS Cluster of Excellence at the University of Hamburg and the Mercator Foundation. The occasion was the publication of the report ‘Klimawende Ausblick 2025‘. The report provides social science analyses of the challenges and drivers of climate transition. In this case, drivers refer to the pioneers of a successful climate transition. The report focuses on the question of how climate transition can still be implemented and shaped in times of backlash and declining resonance.
Selected drivers were examined in depth and discussed in five parallel workshops. In the workshop on the driver ‘consumption’, led by Dr. Eduardo Gonçalves Gresse, Prof. Dr. Christian Thorun, Managing Director of the ConPolicy Institute, together with Dr. Laura Spengler from the German Federal Environment Agency, commented on the report's key findings and recommendations.
Prof. Dr. Thorun emphasized that
- consumption-related emissions and resource consumption are declining, but not fast enough, especially in the areas of housing and mobility;
- social inequality is significantly slowing down the shift in consumption;
- digitalization is currently promoting unsustainable consumption through dark patterns, addictive designs, and interface design focused on closing sales and maximizing screen time;
- a simplification agenda is needed to make sustainable consumption as easy as possible and the default option; and
- new narratives are needed to get people passionate about climate and environmental protection. Instead of propagating doomsday scenarios or talking about costly purchases such as electric cars or heat pumps, there should be more discussion about affordable local transport, thermal insulation that benefits tenants, and attractive city centres.