Climate policy-motivated sabotage – Extreme forms of action in the name of the climate

Curbing man-made climate change is one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century. While the vast majority of climate activists advocate for more ambitious environmental policies peacefully, radical currents within the movement are increasingly crossing legal boundaries. This article analyzes the security dimension of climate-motivated sabotage. Left-wing extremist actors are partially successful in co-opting climate organisations for their own purposes. As a result, structures have emerged that transcend the realm of legitimate protest and employ violence as a means of asserting political interests.

Climate-motivated sabotage can be operationally divided into three categories: targeted sabotage without collateral effects, targeted sabotage with collateral effects, and disruption through occupation. In all three cases, the aim is to cause economic damage or to disrupt (critical) infrastructure – sometimes in a targeted manner, sometimes knowingly affecting third parties. The article illustrates each category through concrete case studies – such as arson attacks on Amazon delivery trucks and construction sites, sabotage of rail infrastructure or power lines, and occupation-based actions such as the Lützerath protest or disruptions at German airports.

The analysis also explores the increasing internationalisation of the phenomenon. Groups such as the post-autonomous alliance "Ende Gelände" or the transnational network "Switch off – the system of destruction" combine climate-related concerns with anti-capitalist ideology. The latter explicitly aims to encourage others to commit offences within a predefined ideological context, thereby creating a sense of cohesion and collective action. Sabotage actions under the “Switch off” label have taken place not only in Germany, but also in France and the United States. At the same time, “Switch off” is actively seeking cooperation with anarchist climate groups in Latin America.

The article concludes with a series of policy recommendations. Political actors and parties should clearly distance themselves from extremist groups to avoid legitimising violence and sabotage in the name of the climate movement. Extremism prevention efforts must be expanded to include climate-related topics and be made more accessible through digital formats. A coordinated federal-state approach among security authorities is necessary, along with enhanced political education at both national and regional levels and strengthened academic and non-academic research on the topic. Private companies, particularly those operating critical infrastructure, must develop internal protection strategies and address security gaps.

Climate-motivated sabotage poses a serious threat – not only to individual businesses or institutions, but also to the state’s monopoly on the use of force and the societal discourse on legitimate protest. A nuanced engagement with this phenomenon is therefore essential to safeguard both public security and democratic debate.

Read the entire Monitor: “Klimapolitisch motivierte Sabotage – Extreme Aktionsformen im Namen des Klimas” here as a PDF. Please note, to date the analysis is only available in German.