In previous years, Germany has been able to make strides in cutting back on their emissions. From 1990 until present day, they successfully cut down their emissions by 40%, a substantial number in putting them at the forefront of tackling climate change. However, they missed their target for 2021 and is said to miss them again this coming year and the year following, according to Germany’s vice chancellor, Robert Habeck. The renewable electricity generation reached a low during the past two years, with exceptionally low winds and increases in carbon emissions due to the Covid-19 restrictions. Therefore they missed their 2021 climate goals, creating urgency for them to meet their goals by 2030 in reducing their CO2 emissions and becoming carbon neutral by then. In doing this, the vice chancellor devised a strategy of seven categories that will help guide them in meeting their targets. Some of them involve; making space available for solar installation and solar energy mandatory, lowering their soaring electricity prices with renewable energy, created a mandatory review of building energy law in which installed heating would run on 65% renewable energy beginning in 2025. If Germany were to expand massively on their gas power plants, it would greatly contribute to reaching their coal exit date. The terms of these initiatives are awaited by industries in how they will be successful, if implemented at all. Germany has quite a lot of work ahead of them to reach their goals within the next eight years.
Photo by: Marcin Jozwiak
