Germany met its climate targets in 2022, federal agency says

Berlin, March 15 (ČTK correspondent) – Germany met its climate targets last year despite greater use of coal-fired power plants. The Federal Environment Agency (UBA) announced today that Germany emitted 746 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere last year, 1.9 percent less than a year earlier. Compared with 1990, emissions in 2022 were 40.4 percent lower. UBA head Dirk Messner said, however, that Germany must significantly accelerate the pace of emissions cuts to meet its 2030 commitment as well. This calls for a 65 percent reduction in CO2 emissions compared with 1990.

„To achieve the federal government's targets by 2030, emissions need to be cut by six percent each year. Since 2010, the average reduction has been less than two percent,“ Messner said at a press conference.

Germany emitted around 15 million tonnes less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere last year than in 2021. Emissions fell despite the energy crisis, which forced Germany to bring coal-fired power plants held in reserve back online in order to save natural gas. Renewable energy sources largely offset this climate-unfriendly step, generating nine percent more energy than in the previous year. Even so, emissions from the energy sector amounted to 256 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, 10.7 million tonnes more than a year earlier.