The Economic Affairs Ministry expresses a desire to pay heed to the advisories issued by the Expert Council on Climate Matters.
The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection takes the cautions of the Climate Council on climate issues seriously, regarding the possibility of Germany's targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions failing. This was confirmed by Parliamentary State Secretary Stefan Wenzel (Greens) in Berlin on Monday. Wenzel acknowledged that "the challenges are still extremely large, especially in the transport sector."
The appointed council of experts considers the government's projections for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 to be unrealistic. This is evident from their special report on the evaluation of projection data for 2024, published in the morning. "We believe that the target will not be met," said the council's chairman, Hans-Martin Henning. Their concerns also apply to the target of achieving climate neutrality by 2045.
"If we adhere to our course of action, we can still achieve the 2030 climate target," outlined Wenzel. The report also demonstrates, according to Wenzel, "how much progress we have made so far in the energy transition." Over half of Germany's electricity now comes from a climate-friendly energy mix, and the "expansion of renewable energy generation is finally accelerating at a fast rate."
The expert council's report does not prompt any immediate legal consequences. According to the new Climate Protection Act, the federal government's responsibility is limited to acting when the failure of the target is established twice in a row.
However, Wenzel announced further attempts to meet the climate goals. He also underscored the government's commitment to deciding on a program with additional climate protection measures next year if the expert council's finding is negative once more. Henning expects this outcome at present.
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The Special Report from the Expert Council on Climate Matters raises warnings about the government's projections for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. This aligns with their concerns about failing to meet the 2030 climate target, as mentioned in their expert advice to the Ministry of Economic Affairs. The Ministry, acknowledging these concerns, has announced further efforts to meet the climate goals and is considering implementing additional climate protection measures.
