klimaschädlicher

klimaschädlicher is the comparative form of the German adjective klimaschädlich, meaning climate-damaging or harmful to the climate. It is used to compare the climate impact of two or more actions, products, or policies, indicating that one causes more warming or higher greenhouse gas emissions than another.

Etymology and usage notes: The term combines Klima (climate) and schädlich (damaging) with the comparative suffix -er. It appears in attributive and predicative positions, for example: "Der Bau eines Kohlekraftwerks ist klimaschädlicher als der Bau eines Windparks." or "Der Flug ist klimaschädlicher als die Bahnreise." The term is common in media, public debate, and policy discussions, but it is not a formal technical category; its meaning depends on the metrics used to assess climate impact, such as CO2-equivalents, life-cycle emissions, or time horizons.

Context and limitations: Statements with klimaschädlicher should ideally refer to explicit criteria or assessments, because climate impact can vary with methodology, scope, and assumptions. The term is often contrasted with klimaschonender, klimafreundlich, or klimaneutral, which describe lower impact or neutral outcomes respectively. In scientific and policy contexts, more precise language or quantified comparisons (for example, "higher lifecycle CO2e emissions") is commonly preferred to avoid ambiguity.

See also: klimafreundlich, klimaneutral, Treibhausgasemissionen, CO2e, Lebenszyklusanalyse, Klimapolitik.