Germany: Climate targets still a long way off
Increased measures to reduce greenhouse gases, the expansion of a greener energy grid - Germany still has a lot to do to achieve the climate goals it has set. But according to experts, none of this can be achieved without a real paradigm shift.
Yesterday, the starting signal was given for the 27th World Climate Conference (COP 27), where, over the next 12 days, leading politicians from all over the world will discuss, among other things, joint strategies to combat climate change. Germany is also taking part and, like many other countries, must present an inventory of its environmental and energy policies. A state of affairs that could, however, still prove to be too far away from the desired scenario. For just a few days before the summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, the panel of experts commissioned under the Climate Protection Act had not painted a rosy picture in its report.
Germany's climate targets for the year 2030 are in great danger, according to the advisory experts. "At the moment, it doesn't look like we can achieve them," admits deputy chair Brigitte Knopf. Especially with regard to the reduction of greenhouse gases by 65 % compared to 1990, it is not possible to stay on this trajectory if the country will meet its - as well as the - climate targets set by the European Union. Compared to the development of the last decade, explains Councillor Thomas Heimer, the annual reduction amount must more than double. And ideally with a 10-fold reduction in pollutant emissions from industry and even a 14-fold increase in emission reductions from the transport sector.
It is true that emissions of climate-damaging gases in Germany fell by 27% between 2000 and 2021. However, according to the report, the future continuation of such a trend is not to be expected, for example because "general economic growth or increased transport services will counteract efficiency gains in energy consumption itself". Even if reducing energy demand is ultimately always a climate-friendly decision, the real potential for creating a more sustainable future also for Germany lies in expanding renewable energy sources and reducing transport. This is a necessity that Robert Habeck's (Greens) Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection is aware of, but which nevertheless urgently requires increased speed in implementation.
Experts are also increasingly calling for a new balance that is both economically and ecologically sustainable. Experts from associations such as Klima-Allianz Deutschland or Greenpeace are in fact calling for a paradigm shift. They recommend not only introducing stricter emission limits or tighter environmental zones, but also setting up a new system - according to which the amount still permitted can be managed between the various "emission agents". In this way, policy-makers could organise potential consumption in such a way that the energy needs of the economy and society can be satisfied in a more environmentally conscious way.
Whether Germany will stick to its current strategy or opt for a change of course in the light of the new international consultations will only become clear after the conclusion of COP27. What is certain, however, is that the decisions of the next few days will strongly shape our future, as well as that of our planet.