Climate change in Germany - statistics & facts
Germany is on the climate change radar. Summers are getting hotter, winters are getting warmer, and there has been catastrophic flooding following extreme rainfall in very recent history. The country that is famous the world over for being an industrial powerhouse in multiple fields was the leading greenhouse gas emission contributor in the EU. To play its part in putting a brake on global warming, in addition to other types of alarming impact, the German government is aiming for a number of reduction targets.
The encompassing nature of climate change means relying on a whole spectrum of measures both on a consumer and industry level, but the scale of modern industrial production does place it center stage in combatting climate change.
Action needed
According to calculations made in 2022, various industries which have accelerated their output in the last century (and this one too) would need to significantly and quickly reduce their greenhouse gas emissions in order for Germany to reach 1990 levels by 2030. The energy sector would need to cut figures by 77 percent, while the construction industry should aim for 69 percent. These industries are among the leading greenhouse gas contributors in the country. In fact, among energy-related emissions, the energy sector as such was responsible for the leading share, followed by industrial and transport emissions. Germany aims for an energy transition in the coming decades to become independent of fossil fuels and therefore help de-escalate the climate change emergency.Energy transition key target
One of the ways to achieve energy transition is by relying on renewable energy. The German Renewable Energy Sources Act came into force in 2021 on a national level, establishing a legal framework for expanding and regulating the sector. Specifically, the Act aims to contribute to the secure establishment of carbon-neutral electricity supply and consumption before 2050 arrives. The Act provides specific targets for the German electricity sector, with the next on the list being achieving a 65 percent share of renewable electricity consumption by 2030.The encompassing nature of climate change means relying on a whole spectrum of measures both on a consumer and industry level, but the scale of modern industrial production does place it center stage in combatting climate change.
