“Climate targets in Germany almost out of reach“

Germany’s greenhouse gas emissions rose to 906 million tonnes in 2016 (from 902 million tonnes in 2015), making it unlikely that the country will reach its 2020 emission reduction target, according to preliminary data by the Federal Environment Agency (UBA), reports Michael Bauchmüller in Süddeutsche Zeitung (SZ). The data, seen by SZ, showed that emissions in the transport sector increased by 5.4 million tonnes, due to more freight transport and more passenger cars with larger motors registered. “If nothing happens in the transport sector soon, we will miss our climate targets,” UBA president Maria Krautzberger told Süddeutsche Zeitung.
The data confirms a trend shown in earlier projections by energy market research group AG Energiebilanzen, and UBA will publish its complete set of data on Monday, 20 March.

Read the article in German here.

For background read the CLEW articles German carbon emissions rise in 2016 despite coal use drop and Germany “stands by existing climate targets” – chancellery chief.