Walking the Talk? Green Politicians and Pollution Patterns

Michael Koetter and Alexander Popov

No 20773, CEPR Discussion Papers from Centre for Economic Policy Research

Abstract: Exploiting three decades of detailed regional data for Germany, we find that when the Green Party is successful at the polls, local hazardous emissions decline. The level of political representation matters, too. Green politicians’ gaining influence at county level is followed largely by a decline in air pollutants that have an immediate adverse health effect. In contrast, when the Green party joins the state government, only greenhouse gas emissions that affect the welfare of future generations via climate change decline. The primary mechanism to achieve lower emissions appears to be a reduction in output, rather than more efficient energy use.

Keywords: Elections; Growth (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D72 Q53 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025-10
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