Experts: Germany's progress on climate goals insufficient

Germany’s industry and energy sector emitted fewer carbon emissions than expected, but the reduction is largely linked to a stagnant economy rather than only renewable growth. Germany aims for net greenhouse gas neutrality by 2045 and net-negative emissions from 2050, yet current measures have not achieved these goals. Transport and building sectors are particularly behind their climate targets. Forests show some recovery and continue to act as carbon sinks by extracting greenhouse gases and converting them into biomass. Other ecosystems that normally store carbon, including moors, grasslands, and agricultural fields, are increasingly emitting greenhouse gases, such as when bogs are drained and release stored CO2. Without action, these sinks could become drivers of global warming by 2050. The government is urged to consolidate climate policies into a coherent strategy.

"Last year, Germany's industry and energy sector emitted fewer carbon emissions than had been expected. This welcome news, however, is a little deceiving. While there has been a growth in renewables, it is Germany's stagnant economy that largely explains last year's emissions drop. These are the findings of Germany's Council of Experts on Climate Change, an independent scientific body that advises the government on how to best to achieve its climate targets."

"Germany wants to achieve net greenhouse gas neutrality by 2045 and even net-negative emissions from 2050. The measures taken to date, however, have clearly failed to achieve these goals, says Council of Experts on Climate Change chairwoman Barbara Schlomann. The transport and building sectors are particularly far behind their climate targets. On a positive note, Germany's forests are showing some recovery."

"They not only form important ecosystems, but also serve as vital carbon sinks. This means they extract greenhouse gases from the atmosphere and convert them into biomass. Yet the overall trend looks bleak. This is because ecosystems like forests, moors, grasslands and agricultural fields that ordinarily store carbon have become greenhouse emitters. This can, for instance, happen when bogs are drained, thereby releasing CO2 stored within them."

"If no action is taken, such carbon sinks will continuously transform into drivers of global warming by 2050. The German government had set itself the goal of reversing this concerning trend. The Council of Experts on Climate Change, meanwhile, recommends that the government should consolidate its various climate protection policies into a coherent political strategy."

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