Germany achieved 2020 climate goal thanks to pandemic, experts say

Berlin (dpa) – Germany surpassed its goal for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in 2020, but as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and not policy changes, climate experts say in a report seen by dpa.

Europe’s largest economy pumped out 42.3 per cent fewer greenhouse gases last year compared to 1990 levels, according to the Berlin-based Agora Energiewende think tank.

The original target, which in fact had been written off long ago, was a 40-per-cent reduction.

According to Agora Energiewende’s calculations, German emissions of greenhouse gases – which trap heat in the Earth’s atmosphere, causing global temperatures to rise – went down by over 80 million tons to around 722 million tons last year.

Two-thirds of this reduction were attributed to the current pandemic, which has slowed down industry, travel and public life.

Under normal circumstances, the reduction would have been around 25 million tons, or 37.8 per cent compared to 1990, the researchers said.

Energy consumption fell in 2020 as a result of the crisis, they explained.

On top of this, the European Union set a relatively high carbon price, making dirtier forms of energy production such as coal more expensive.

The winter has also been fairly mild, leading to lower heating bills, the report said.

In addition, Germany is said to have generated more power from wind energy than coal in 2020 for the first time.

German Environment Minister Svenja Schulze was quick to point out that the progress wasn’t entirely down to the pandemic.

“CO2 emissions have now gone down for the third year in a row,” Schulze told dpa on Monday. “This is a clearly positive trend which alongside the coronavirus effect also shows the results of policy-making over the past few years.”

Germany and Europe did not forget the climate crisis in 2020, she said, describing the fight to protect our planet from catastrophic climate change as a “marathon.”

Germany signed off on plans in July to phase out its coal industry by 2038 at the latest, in what will be a costly overhaul of the coal-reliant economy as it transitions towards greener energy.

Schulze said the goal is “now to quickly up the tempo” on building long-lasting wind and solar power infrastructure, and that the coalition government plans to come up with more ambitious goals in this area in the first quarter of 2021.

“Real climate protection results were only seen in 2020 in the energy sector, where the CO2 reduction can be attributed to the replacement of coal with gas and renewable energies,” Agora Energiewende director Patrick Graichen said.

“Transport and industry will continue to emit more greenhouse gases as soon as the economy picks up again,” he added, predicting a rise in 2021 emissions.

“This can only be prevented through fast action in the area of climate policy.”