Germany edges closer to 2020 renewables target

The share of renewables in Germany’s final energy consumption rose to 16.6 percent in 2018 (from 15.5 percent in 2017), bringing the country closer to its goal of 18 percent by 2020, the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) says in a press release. Preliminary 2018 data “show how important renewables expansion is for climate protection,” with 184 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents saved in 2018 by replacing coal, oil and gas, the UBA says. A rise in biofuels sales and the rising share of renewables in the power mix meant more renewable energy was used in transport for the first time in several years. However, a significant expansion of renewables in both transport and heating are still necessary to reach the country's climate targets, the UBA says.

Germany is struggling to meet some of its national and European climate targets for 2020, for example for emissions reduction in sectors not covered by the European Emissions Trading System (ETS), such as transport and heating. The country does appear to be on track for its goals to use more renewables in power generation. But the 6th Energiewende Monitoring Report from June 2018 warned that the renewables goal in final energy consumption could “only be reached with continued ambitious expansion in electricity and heating and significantly higher ambitions in transport.”