Experts call out German government on 'optimistic' climate plans
The German government's evaluation of its own efforts in the fight against global warming is too optimistic, according to the independent German Council of Experts on Climate Change.
Even if the climate protection programme of the traffic-light coalition (SPD, Greens, FDP) were fully implemented, it is likely that greenhouse gas emissions would be reduced less than anticipated, said Hans-Martin Henning, the chairman of the independent five-member panel.
According to the Climate Protection Act, Germany's greenhouse gas emissions must decrease by at least 65 percent by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. The government estimates a remaining gap between 2021 and 2030 of around 200 megatonnes of CO2 equivalents. This figure was called into question by the Council of Experts, although it agreed that a "significant contribution" to climate protection is expected.
Henning criticized the "inconsistent data situation", which did not allow for a reliable prediction of the overall impact of the climate protection programme. He noted that this did not align with legal requirements.
The building and transportation sectors were a particular concern, he said. The experts criticized the government for lacking ambition in these areas. According to their assessment, a gap of 35 megatonnes of CO2 equivalents will remain in the building sector by 2030 and 117 to 191 megatonnes in the transportation sector during the same period. The uncertainty regarding the transportation sector stemmed from varying information provided by the ministries of economics and transportation, the expert group said.
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Even if the climate protection programme of the traffic-light coalition (SPD, Greens, FDP) were fully implemented, it is likely that greenhouse gas emissions would be reduced less than anticipated, said Hans-Martin Henning, the chairman of the independent five-member panel.
According to the Climate Protection Act, Germany's greenhouse gas emissions must decrease by at least 65 percent by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. The government estimates a remaining gap between 2021 and 2030 of around 200 megatonnes of CO2 equivalents. This figure was called into question by the Council of Experts, although it agreed that a "significant contribution" to climate protection is expected.
Henning criticized the "inconsistent data situation", which did not allow for a reliable prediction of the overall impact of the climate protection programme. He noted that this did not align with legal requirements.
The building and transportation sectors were a particular concern, he said. The experts criticized the government for lacking ambition in these areas. According to their assessment, a gap of 35 megatonnes of CO2 equivalents will remain in the building sector by 2030 and 117 to 191 megatonnes in the transportation sector during the same period. The uncertainty regarding the transportation sector stemmed from varying information provided by the ministries of economics and transportation, the expert group said.
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