Mostly true: Private jet users “emitting more than a small city in central Africa”

Do Private Jet users emit more CO₂ than a small city in Central Africa? On 7 November 2024, the BBC released a report analysing the environmental implications of private aviation by the ultra-rich and the disproportionate scale of its carbon footprint. In that report, Professor Stefan Gössling, from Sweden’s Linnaeus University, says that the emissions…

Mostly True, but misleading: “Many Member States are looking for innovative strategies to prevent irregular migration”

In a letter dated June 25, 2024, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen claimed: “Many Member States are looking at innovative strategies to prevent irregular migration by tackling asylum applications further from the EU’s external borders.” However, a closer examination shows that very few countries are actively pursuing such plans and concrete results are…

Mostly true: “40 percent less CO₂ emissions for a vegan diet compared to eating meat and dairy products”

According to an article published by the European energy company Vattenfall on their website referring to the German Environment Agency, “A vegan diet produces around 40 percent less CO₂ emissions […] compared to someone who eats meat and dairy products.” The claim turns out to be mostly true. The Vattenfall article mentions neither a date…

Mostly True: “Never before have rents been raised as much as during your term of office”

During a government survey in the German Bundestag on December 4, 2024, politician Caren Lay (Left Party) claimed that rents had never risen as sharply in the history of the Republic as they did during the term of the previous government under Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The claim turns out to be mostly true. Record rents…

Mostly true: “Germany will be climate-neutral by 2045”

On January 18, 2023, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced at the World Economic Forum in Davos that Germany aims to become one of the first industrialized nations to achieve climate neutrality by 2045. This statement is mostly true. Legal Framework and National Targets The Climate Change Act (KSG) enshrines the goal of climate neutrality by 2045. It stipulates…

Mostly True: “Germany distributes money all over the world, but has none left for hardworking farmers”

Martin Huber, Secretary General of the Christian Social Union (CSU), criticized the priorities of the German government coalition (“Ampel-Koalition”) in a post on X, claiming that the government invests substantial funds in global development projects while failing to support German farmers. While his statement is mostly accurate, some contextual clarifications are necessary. On January 19,…

Mostly true: “We are now attracting more investments in clean hydrogen than the US and China combined”

On September 13, 2023, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, stated during her State of the Union address that the European Union (EU) is attracting more investments in clean hydrogen than the US and China combined. This statement aligns with the context of the European Green Deal and the ambitious goal of establishing the…

Mostly True: “Almost 80% of working women (in Germany) cannot provide for themselves and a child in the long term”

On March 03, 2023, the German politician Heidi Reichinnek from the Left Party posted a TikTok claiming, that 80% of working women cannot provide for themselves and a child in the long term. This claim turns out to be mostly true. Reichinneks TikTok contains an excerpt from her speech to the Bundestag, in which she addresses the…