Greenhouse gas emissions in Germany - Statistics & Facts
Having managed to its cut emissions by more than 45 percent since 1990, Germany now has its sights set on GHG neutrality by 2045. The EU's biggest GHG emitter has managed to achieve these reductions through a variety of factors, with reduced coal reliance and increased renewable energy use both playing key roles. But while there is signs Germany can achieve its climate ambitions, there will be many challenges along the way, particularly as several highly polluting sectors have so far struggled to achieve meaningful reductions.
Germany has made progress in cutting its emissions over the decades and is on track to meeting its 2030 climate targets. Nevertheless, there is still some way to go before Europe’s biggest economy can reach net-zero emissions.
Germany’s GHG emissions fall to a 70-year low
In 2023, Germany’s greenhouse gas emissions fell 10.1 percent year-on-year, to 674 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent. This was not only the biggest annual emissions reduction since 1990, but also the lowest emissions level recorded in the country since the 1950s. One of the biggest catalysts for these reductions was the drop in coal-fired electricity generation, which fell more than 25 percent year-on-year. There was also growth in renewable energy use, which accounted for more than 50 percent of total electricity generation for the first time ever. Some 250 million metric tons of greenhouse gases were avoided by using renewable energies that year, which would have otherwise been caused by using fossil fuels. Renewable electricity generation accounted for roughly 80 percent of these savings, with the remaining shares linked to use of renewables in the heat and transportation sectors.What are the biggest polluters in Germany?
While emissions from Germany's energy industry have fallen by more than 55 percent since 1990, the sector remains the largest overall climate polluter in the country. Accounting for 30 percent of total emissions in 2023, much of the emissions from this sector still come from coal-fired electricity generation. In fact, seven out of the 10 biggest climate polluters in Germany that year were coal-fired power plants, the most polluting of which was the Neurath Power Station. German industrial facilities are also major polluters, with energy-intensive iron and steel plants like those in the western city of Duisburg being particularly large sources of emissions.Germany’s pathway to GHG neutrality
As part of its pathway to climate neutrality, Germany must achieve several interim targets along the way, including slashing emissions by 65 percent by 2030, relative to 1990 levels. Some of the keyways to achieving this goal are continuing to move away from burning fossil fuels and expanding renewable energy production. Germany is already aiming to phase out coal use completely by 2038 and is gradually moving toward its target of producing 80 percent of its electricity from wind and solar by 2030. However, one sector in particular has been difficult to address: transportation. Having seen little change in emissions over the past decades, this sector is falling well short of its 2030 target and has become the “problem child” with regard to Germany’s climate ambitions. As such, additional measures will be needed to curb emissions from this sector, such as the continued promotion of zero-emission vehicles through environmental bonuses, expanding public and rail transportation, and increasing charging infrastructure.Germany has made progress in cutting its emissions over the decades and is on track to meeting its 2030 climate targets. Nevertheless, there is still some way to go before Europe’s biggest economy can reach net-zero emissions.
