Germany off track for 2030 and 2045 climate targets – environment agency

Germany will miss its climate targets for 2030 and 2045 without additional measures despite considerable progress being made, according to the emissions projections report 2023 by the Federal Environment Agency (UBA). The report in which leading research institutions calculated scenarios for future emissions development showed that, even in a best-case scenario, Germany would still emit about 200 million tonnes of CO2 equivalents until 2030 more than allowed under its climate action law. This is equal to about a quarter of the country’s total greenhouse gas emissions in 2022. “The projection report clearly shows that additional measures are needed in order to still be able to achieve the climate targets that have been set,” said UBA director Dirk Messner.

Germany is aiming for climate neutrality by 2045, meaning that remaining greenhouse gas emissions will need to be cancelled out through natural carbon sinks or technical removal. The government published a first preview of the projections for the years up to 2030 when it presented its new climate action package in June. The projections report is meant to provide an assessment of the impact of climate action measures on greenhouse gas emissions in the future. The last report was published in 2021. The report will accrue further importance once German lawmakers decide a planned reform of the country’s climate action law, likely later this year. In the future, the government will have to present a climate action policy package, if – for two years in a row – the projections show the country off track to reaching targets.