Many shades of climate skepticism: Exploring climate change attitudes among local political elites in Germany

Climate change – and skepticism toward it – is increasingly present not only among far-right parties but also across the political spectrum in more nuanced forms. This article examines the diverse climate attitudes of local political elites, who play a key role in the implementation of climate policy. We develop an analytical framework to assess varying degrees of climate skepticism, with particular attention to a broader ‘gray zone’ of attitudes that combine acceptance of anthropogenic climate change with doubts about its implications, responsibilities, or policy responses. We empirically examine the views of municipal council members in Saxony and Thuringia – two eastern German states characterized by salient climate and energy policy conflicts and ideologically competitive party systems. Using original web survey data, our findings reveal a wide spectrum of partial climate skepticism extending beyond the Alternative for Germany (AfD) and into parts of the political mainstream. Moreover, we identify substantial variation across different dimensions of climate skepticism as well as significant intra-party heterogeneity. Overall, parties are not monolithic actors on climate-related attitudes but internally diverse organizations in which multiple positions coexist. Understanding these local-level attitudes is crucial for assessing the political feasibility of climate policy implementation. By mapping the ‘gray zone’ of climate skepticism among local political elites, this study contributes to a more fine-grained understanding of climate attitudes within and across party lines.