“Denying the global climate crisis is not just a personal choice” (Henrike Kohpeiß)
2026-08-20 In the summer of 2026, the effects of the climate crisis are more noticeable than ever before in Europe. Regardless, strong emotions are often absent from public debates, and the current election campaign rarely addresses climate protection. In an interview on August 13, 2026, Dörte Hinrichs (Deutschlandfunk, DLF) and Dr. Henrike Kohpeiß (Leuphana Transformation Lab) discussed how emotions influence politics and what mechanisms can lead to societal denial.
Political debates and decisions are increasingly influenced by emotions. Feelings such as anger, fear, or pride contribute to greater polarization in society. Despite the climate crisis’s already devastating effects, the political discourse on the issue is instead characterized by denial and “emotional detachment,” says Dr. Henrike Kohpeiß on the DLF program “Systemfragen.” The philosopher explains that “a massive engagement with emotions surrounding the climate crisis reached its peak in Germany in 2019 during the climate protests and the ‘Fridays for Future’ movement, especially among young people.”
Nowadays, however, political and media discourse has changed. There are reports of heat waves and wildfires, but often without establishing a connection to the climate crisis. According to Kohpeiß, this is partly because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has brought other social crises to the forefront. On the other hand, “there are few social opportunities for addressing the global ecological catastrophe. On current election posters, for instance, climate issues play no role. Consequently, there is a lack of collective engagement with these issues that would allow them to regain relevance.”
Dr. Kohpeiß emphasizes that such repression is by no means an individual decision made by people on their own, but rather a matter of social resonance and the possibility of exchange. Referring to Herbert Marcuse, she further explains: “In fossil-fuel-based capitalism, there is an inherent denial of the material foundations of our way of life. Our daily consumption depends so heavily on fossil-fuel-based modes of production that we can hardly escape them. This explains quite well why ecological consequences are neglected.”
The threats posed by climate change are still very abstract for many people, though certain approaches could help make them more tangible. As an example, the researcher cites climate models for cities and municipalities that can show what will change in people’s immediate surroundings over the next 20 to 50 years. This would create specific points of reference for society to engage with the climate crisis: “It would allow us to come together and realize that we can make a difference together. And that has as much to do with politics as it does with emotions,” says Dr. Kohpeiß.
Dr. Henrike Kohpeiß is a postdoctoral fellow at the Leuphana Transformation Lab. In her research, the philosopher focuses on affects of transformation, the relationship between crises and transformations, and transformation literacy. She is currently investigating the social dynamics that lead to the derealization of the global ecological crisis.
The program “Systemfragen” airs every Thursday at 8:10 p.m. on DLF. The episodes are subsequently published in the DLF media library. The episode “Macht der Gefühle / Wie Emotionen Politik beeinflussen” [The Power of Feelings / How Emotions Influence Politics] is available via the link below.