Germany forecast to miss 40pc GHG reduction target

Germany will miss its target to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 40pc this year compared with 1990, according to the latest projections from the German environment agency (UBA).

German GHG emissions were 805mn t of CO2 equivalent (CO2e) last year, 36pc lower than in 1990. But the UBA forecasts that the emission reduction this year will be "well below" the 40pc target.

Last year, Germany avoided 203.4mn t of CO2e by replacing fossil fuels with renewables in transport, electricity generation and heat production. The use of renewables in transport accounted for 7.7mn t of this, up by 40,000t from 2018, according to preliminary data in the UBA report.

Biodiesel sales in Germany amounted to 2.15mn t in 2019, around 7pc lower than in 2018. Ethanol consumption stood at 1.06mn t last year, down by 10pc on the year. But although consumption of biofuels decreased in 2019, GHG emission reductions rose, highlighting the increased GHG efficiency of biofuels used in transport.

Electricity generation from renewables accounted for about 78pc of the avoided emissions last year, and the heating sector made up 18pc.

The German government introduced new measures to reduce GHG emissions at the end of last year. It set a goal for renewables to make up a 30pc share of final energy consumption in 2030 in its recently published national energy and climate plan. The country is aiming for a 60pc share by 2050.

By Sophie Barthel