2024-03-15 10:36:00
The federal government believes that the climate target set for 2030 is achievable based on current greenhouse gas forecasts. But to do this we have to stay the course, said Economics Minister Habeck. Traffic remains the “problem child of climate protection”.
According to a current projection by the Federal Environment Agency (UBA), greenhouse gas emissions will fall more sharply by 2030 than previously assumed. Economics Minister Robert Habeck considers the German climate protection target for 2030 to be achievable. The projection shows “for the first time that we are on track,” said Habeck and spoke of the success of the traffic light government’s climate protection measures.
Specifically, according to the UBA, the greenhouse gas projections for 2024 show a decline of almost 64 percent by 2030 compared to 1990. From the perspective of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Protection, this makes the climate target for 2030, which calls for a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by at least 65 percent, tangible.
Around ten percent less greenhouse gases than in 2022
At 673 million tons, around ten percent fewer greenhouse gases have already been emitted than in 2022, the ministry and UBA announced. This is the sharpest decline since reunification in 1990. The Federal Environment Agency expects Germany to consume a total of 47 million tons less CO2 by 2030 than required by law.
Weak economy one reason
UBA President Dirk Messner was also confident that Germany can achieve the climate goals for 2030. “We have already made a lot of progress in climate protection.
We’re not out of the woods yet, but the speed we’ve picked up is good.
The main reasons for this development are that less coal was burned in power plants and also that the economy was weaker. Messner also referred to the faster expansion of renewable energy such as wind and solar power. In addition, last year Germany imported more electricity from abroad than it exported for the first time in a long time – which is good for its climate balance.
Development varies in individual sectors
However, the development in the individual sectors is different: the goals are being exceeded in the energy sector, industry, agriculture, waste management and others.
However, the targets are still being missed in the transport and building sectors – even if developments have improved compared to previous projections. The transport sector remains the “problem child of climate protection,” said Messner. Accordingly, there are too few electric cars. The only slight decline in the transport sector might only be “overcompensated” by other areas, Messner explained.
According to the surveys, the decline in production in the energy-intensive industry as a result of high energy prices following the Russian war of aggression on Ukraine in particular reduced greenhouse gas emissions in 2023. The projection up to 2030 assumes that the industry will recover once more and that emissions will continue to fall due to climate protection measures.
Greenpeace: Use “breather” – for example for speed limits
Despite the positive projection of the climate protection goals, environmental associations are calling on the federal government to take more consistent measures to reduce greenhouse gases. Martin Kaiser, managing director of Greenpeace, explained that the transport sector in particular can and must be sharpened. The federal government should quickly use the “breather” that the numbers gave them.
In the long term, the solar boom cannot make up for the persistently poor performance in traffic. Without immediate measures such as a speed limit or a reformed company car tax, which drives the slow switch to electric cars, traffic will become a greater burden on the climate every year, says Kaiser.
The reduction in emissions will only be effective “if it is based on strategic climate protection and the sustainable restructuring of the economy,” emphasized Viviane Raddatz, head of climate at the WWF. The Climate Alliance Germany is also calling for “effective climate protection programs” so that the decline in emissions continues in the long term.
The numbers show how important the sector goals in the Climate Protection Act are, emphasized the President of the German Nature Conservation Association, Kai Niebert. “An overall view of emissions can conceal the failure of individual ministries and prevent the medium to long-term achievement of climate goals.”
Climate neutral by 2045
Germany should be climate-neutral by 2045, meaning that the bottom line is that it will no longer produce any gas that is harmful to the climate. In order to achieve this, each sector currently has a clear CO2 limit for each year.
The federal government introduced an amendment to the Climate Protection Act, which no longer contains this obligation. It should then be possible to make clearing between sectors more easily. However, the new law has not yet been passed and the change would not apply retroactively.
Jan Zimmermann, ARD Berlin, tagesschau, March 15, 2024 8:44 a.m
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