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Environment & climate

Climate policy pioneer

Climate protection is a top priority for Germany. The key goal is to expand renewable energy sources at home and abroad.
Vorreiter in der  Klimapolitik
© AdobeStock

Germany aims to become a climate-neutral industrial nation by 2045. This puts the Federal Republic at the forefront of international efforts to combat the climate crisis. The planned energy transformation is key to success, with a rapid transition from fossil fuels to renewables. Germany has already decided to phase out nuclear and coal-fired electricity generation. At the beginning of 2022, the Federal Government Federal Government The Federal Government and cabinet is made up of the Federal Chancellor and the Federal Ministers. While the Chancellor holds the power to issue directives, the ministers have departmental powers, meaning that they independently run their respective ministries in the framework of those directives… Read more › stepped up measures to accelerate the energy transformation in order to end Germany’s dependence on fossil fuel imports as soon as possible.

Germany’s climate policy is guided by the 2015 UNFCCC Paris Agreement, as well as Agenda 2030 and the principle of climate justice. Under the Paris Agreement, the international commu­nity set itself the target of keeping global warming well below 2° and below 1.5° if possible. The Federal Government considers this climate protection target a “top priority”. In order to achieve it, the government intends to restructure the social market economy Social market economy The Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany does not call for any particular economic order. Yet it is firmly anchored in the principle of the welfare state and therefore excludes a purely free market economy. Since the founding of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1949 the country’s economic… Read more › into a socio-environmental market economy. Protecting nature and the environment have been high on the agenda in Germany for decades. Combating species extinction is a particularly high priority for the Federal Government.

Clear goals for Germany’s climate protection law

Explicit guidelines for climate protection have been set down in law since May 2021. The law requires Germany to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions Greenhouse gas emissions Roughly two thirds of global warming caused by humans (anthropogenic) can be attributed to carbon dioxide emissions. The gas is produced when the fossil fuels gas, oil and coal are burned. They all contain carbon which combines with atmospheric oxygen to form carbon dioxide. In addition to carbon… Read more › by at least 65% compared to 1990 levels by 2030. That should reach 88% by 2040 and by 2045 Germany must ultimately achieve green house gas neutrality. This means there is a balance between the rate of greenhouse gas emissions and how quickly they break down.

There have already been substantial cuts to greenhouse gas emissions in Germany since 1990. By 2021 emissions were down 40% to 762 million tonnes. However, that must be cut to at least 438 million tonnes by 2030.

CLEAR CLIMATE ACTION GOALS

Germany aims to become a climate-neutral industrial nation by 2045.

Klare Klimaschutzziele

Setting the course for the energy transformation

The energy transformation is the defining project of this century and the Federal Government Federal Government The Federal Government and cabinet is made up of the Federal Chancellor and the Federal Ministers. While the Chancellor holds the power to issue directives, the ministers have departmental powers, meaning that they independently run their respective ministries in the framework of those directives… Read more › intends to make decisive progress this decade. By 2023, 80% of Germany’s energy needs will have to be met by renewable sources such as wind or solar power. It had originally been planned to phase out coal by 2038, but that too will be achieved during this decade. Coal-fired electricity generation is considered one of the most serious causes of harmful CO2 emissions. In late 2011 Germany decided to gradually phase out nuclear 
power. The last nuclear power station will be taken offline by 2023 at the latest.

Security and economic policy Economic policy In line with the federal system, structuring and coordinating economic and financial policy is the joint task of central government, the federal states and munici­palities. They cooperate in various committees. Furthermore, the Federal Government seeks the advice of independent economists. Every… Read more › concerns make it ne­cessary to implement the energy transformation as quickly as possible. The Federal Government intends to use measures such as speeding up planning and approval proced­ures for solar and wind power facilities to support the restructuring of energy supplies. At the same time, Germany will invest over 200 billion euros in climate protection by 2026.

Trusted partner for climate policy

Germany is strongly committed to global cooperation on climate protection. After all, the only way to achieve intended limits to temperature increases is through concerted action by the international community. One core element of this is the European Union European Union In 1957, Germany was one of the six founding members of today’s EU, along with France, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. The EU is currently made up of 27 states; the euro is the official currency in 20 of them. For Germany, European integration forms the basis for peace, security and… Read more › ’s Green Deal. It aims to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. Germany’s support includes reforms to EU emissions trading and a CO2 price escalator, which will incentivise climate protection.

At the same time, the Federal Government Federal Government The Federal Government and cabinet is made up of the Federal Chancellor and the Federal Ministers. While the Chancellor holds the power to issue directives, the ministers have departmental powers, meaning that they independently run their respective ministries in the framework of those directives… Read more › plans to forge further climate partnerships with other countries outside Europe, particularly in major emerging econ­omies. One benefit from these will be to help other countries phase out coal-fired electricity gener­ation. Following the 2021 Bundestag elections Elections Every four years, the parties stand in the general elections to the Bundestag. Traditionally, the turn-out is high in Germany, and following a high in the 1970s, when the turn-out was over 90 percent, since reunification it has been around 80 percent. 76.6 per cent of eligible voters took part… Read more › , climate foreign policy was reaffirmed as a key priority for the Federal Foreign Office. Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock described the primary object­ive as “Using every tool we have to improve climate protection and to facilitate sustainable development for every country on earth.” She also identifies the climate crisis as “the major security policy issue of the age”. She also stresses that climate foreign policy is an integral part of any security strategy: “Every tonne of CO2 that can be reduced, every tenth of a degree less global warming makes a contribution to the security of humankind.”

EXPANDING RENEWABLE ENERGY

Renewable energy has greatly increased as a proportion of gross electricity consumption since 2000.

Ausbau erneuerbare Energien

Protecting the environment – a national objective

Germany is also committed to improving protection for the natural world and biodiversity, both at home and internationally. Since 1994, the Basic Law The Basic Law The Basic Law determines that Germany is a constitutional state: All state authorities are subject to judicial control. Section 1 of the Basic Law is of particular relevance. It stipulates that respect for human dignity is the most important aspect of the constitution: “Human dignity shall be… Read more › has required the state to protect the natural environment. The Action Plan on Nature-based Solutions for Climate and Biodiversity is one way the Federal Government Federal Government The Federal Government and cabinet is made up of the Federal Chancellor and the Federal Ministers. While the Chancellor holds the power to issue directives, the ministers have departmental powers, meaning that they independently run their respective ministries in the framework of those directives… Read more › aims to boost efforts to maintain biodiversity (the diversity of genes, species and natural habitats). Over 4 billion euros are available until 2026 for the programme, which aims to help restore natural ecosystems such as forests, meadows and moorland.

Germany is also actively engaged in promoting species protection, such as under the Washington Convention. The Convention protects endangered plant and animal species from excessive exploitation by international trade. Around the world over a million species are threatened with extinction, with many at risk of dying out in the next few decades.