The key facts

  • Fridays for Future held rallies in more than 70 German cities under the slogan 'Pay your climate debt'
  • According to the activists, in 2025 Germany provided 4.7 billion euros instead of the promised 6 billion
  • Protesters also criticized Chancellor Merz's absence from the COP31 summit in Antalya

Mass rallies in more than 70 cities

Climate activists from the Fridays for Future movement held demonstrations in more than 70 German cities on Friday. They demanded that the government of Chancellor Friedrich Merz fulfill international climate finance commitments and accelerate the phase-out of fossil fuels. The rallies took place under the slogan 'Pay your climate debt.'

Grievances against the government

One of the protesters' targets was Chancellor Merz's absence from the COP31 climate summit in Antalya. Activists accused the government of providing only partial funding for climate measures abroad while simultaneously investing significant sums in new gas-fired power plants within the country.

Figures and statements from participants

According to the movement, in 2025 Germany provided 4.7 billion euros (5.2 billion dollars) for climate financing instead of the promised 6 billion euros (6.6 billion dollars). Speakers emphasized Germany's historical responsibility as an industrialized country.

Voices of activists

'It is extremely shameful that Chancellor Friedrich Merz cannot even appear at the world climate conference,' said Paula Kanzleiter of Fridays for Future. According to her, a rich country must finally pay out the urgently needed money to the states that are already suffering most from the climate crisis, and every euro directed to gas-fired power plants in Germany would be better spent in those countries.

Warning about warming

Nele Evers of Fridays for Future noted that this year the climate crisis has become more tangible than ever: 'This summer all of us in Germany felt the heat ourselves, and 16,000 people died. The planet is currently heading toward 2.8 degrees of warming, and every additional ton of coal, oil and gas further aggravates this crisis. This must stop.'