C02 emissions at lowest level since 1950s according to study
According to a study, Germany's CO2 emissions are falling. Nevertheless, the authors do not see this as a particularly great success for climate protection. What C02 has been saved is largely due to temporary effects.
According to a study, lower coal consumption and a tepid economy have caused greenhouse gas emissions in Germany to fall to their lowest level for around 70 years. According to preliminary calculations, greenhouse gas emissions last year amounted to 673 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2), according to Agora Energiewende, a lobby association and think tank. This is 73 million tons less than in 2022 and 46 percent less than in 1990, well below the annual target of a maximum of 722 million tons of CO2 derived from the Climate Protection Act.
The authors of the study attribute only around 15 percent of the reduction to permanent savings and the expansion of renewable energies, and around half to short-term effects such as lower electricity consumption. The lower emissions are also due to the weakness of German industry, with production in energy-intensive industry in particular slumping. However, according to Agora, the main reason for the improved climate balance is that less electricity was generated from the climate-damaging burning of coal last year. This in turn was due to the price-related decline in electricity consumption of 3.9 percent compared to 2022 and a strong year for electricity from renewable energies across Europe, according to the authors of the study. Renewable energies also increased in Germany.
Emissions could also rise again due to the economic situation. In addition, the buildings and transport sectors have once again missed their climate targets. CO2 emissions in these sectors have remained virtually unchanged. The main reason for this is the slow pace of electrification with e-cars and heating in buildings. The decline in CO2 emissions had been expected after the Federal Network Agency had previously announced that far less electricity was generated from the climate-damaging burning of coal in 2023. According to Agora, this is the main reason for the improved carbon footprint.
According to the authors of the study entitled "The energy transition in Germany: state of play 2023", which will be presented in Berlin this Thursday, the fact that less coal-fired electricity was generated was due to a price-related decline in electricity consumption of 3.9 percent compared to 2022 and a strong year for electricity from renewable energies across Europe. According to Agora, this is compounded by a decline in production in the energy-intensive industry due to the crisis and economic situation. Renewable energies are also on the rise in Germany.
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- Despite Germany's CO2 emissions reaching their lowest level since the 1950s, international experts express concern about the country's slow progress in phasing out coal and reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation and building sectors, as these sectors have missed their climate targets.
- The cost of electricity in Germany has risen significantly due to the phasing out of coal and the increased reliance on renewable energy sources, placing a strain on the country's economic situation and prices for consumers.
- As global warming continues to be a pressing issue, many countries, including Germany, are under pressure to take bold action to reduce their CO2 emissions and transition to more sustainable energy sources to combat climate change.
- Germany's success in reducing CO2 emissions from electricity generation is partly due to lower electricity consumption and a strong year for renewable energies across Europe, suggesting that international cooperation and market dynamics can play a significant role in driving emissions reductions.
Source: www.ntv.de
