Four out of five Germans in favour of raising EU climate target

Around 77 percent of Germans say the EU should raise its 2030 climate target. In a survey commissioned by the country's utility association BDEW, only 15 percent of respondents said it would be wrong to increase the target to a CO2 reduction of at least 55 percent. "At the same time, however, only half of those surveyed consider the higher climate protection target to be achievable," the association said. When asked whether they considered reaching the higher emission reduction target realistic, only 4 percent of those surveyed answered that it would be "certainly achieved". At least 47 percent consider it "definitely achievable". In contrast, one in three considers the new target "rather unachievable”, while 13 percent say that the target would "certainly not be reached".

The utility association said an emissions cut of 55 percent by 2030 compared to 1990 levels was "very ambitious”, but achievable with the right framework conditions to speed up the rollout of renewable energies and grid extensions.

The European Commission, under president Ursula von der Leyen, has proposed an increase of the bloc’s 2030 climate target to “at least 55 percent”, but the decision is far from taken. Member states still need to agree on their position before a new target can be embedded in the planned EU climate law. Germany currently holds the EU Council presidency and aims to get member states to agree a new target at the leaders meeting this week (10-11 December), in order to be able to communicate it to the UN.