BERLIN, Jan. 20, (Xinhua), — Germany’s total CO2 equivalent emissions fell to 728.7 millions metric tons in 2020, falling 8.9 percent from the previous year and 41.3 percent from 1990, according the final figures released by the German Federal Environment Agency, (UBA), on Thursday.
Dirk Messner, president UBA, stated that the COVID-19 crisis had caused emissions to plummet sharply in 2020. “But that won’t last as our initial projections show that emissions will rise again in 2021,” said Dirk Messner, president of the UBA.
Germany would meet its 2020 emissions budget set by the European Union (EU) Effort Sharing Decision. The figures were officially submitted to European Commission according to the UBA.
The cumulative deficit from the previous years was not offset by the surplus of 3.5million metric tons. According to the UBA, Germany must therefore purchase additional emission allowances from other members states.
The agency stated that Germany’s energy sector saw the greatest reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in 2020. It lowered greenhouse gas emissions by 15.2 per cent to approximately 220 million metric tonnes.
The new government of the country has increased the target for electricity from renewable sources by 2030 from 65 percent to 80 percent. This is significantly more than the previous target. The country wants to be fully climate neutral by 2045.
Patrick Graichen (state secretary at the Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action) stated that “the climate targets require a nearly tripling of the current rate of emissions reductions through 2030.” Additional measures in all sectors are required to reach the country’s desired annual emissions levels in the future.
Robert Habeck, the Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, admitted last week that Germany would likely miss its 2022 and 2030 climate targets. The country would have a large backlog in climate protection and the measures taken to date have been “inadequate across all sectors”.
