Germany must speed up to reach climate targets

To meet targets set at the climate summit in Paris, Germany must accelerate its switch to clean energy. A new study commissioned by Greenpeace says the country needs to opt for 100 percent renewable power by 2035.

At the UN climate conference in Paris almost 200 countries agreed to increase their climate protection efforts. The aim is to keep global warming below 2 degrees – or better still, below 1.5 degrees. To achieve this goal, greenhouse gas emissions need to be drastically reduced – and eliminated completely in the second half of the century.

This is a huge challenge for almost any country. But Germany is generally seen as way ahead . The transition to renewable energy is a major political project, with broad support among politicians and the public.

Yet a new study commissioned by Greenpeace shows that even this climate protection pioneer must work a lot harder if it is is to stand a chance of meeting the targets set out in Paris.

The study by the NewClimate Institute looked at the measures Germany would need to put in place to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees.

Höhne and Böhling present the study in Berlin.

Carbon neutral power supply from 2035

The institute found that to achieve the 1.5 degree target, CO2 emissions must be eliminated from energy production by 2035. “Only in this way can warming be kept well under 2 degrees, towards 1.5 degrees Celsius without running the risk of needing to remove large amounts of CO2 from the atmosphere,” the report says.

The authors believe industrialized countries like Germany should lead the way on climate protection, reducing emissions faster than developing countries. “This is because of the historical responsibility of industrialized countries for climate change and to allow for the development of emerging economies,” they write.

So what does the 1.5 degree limit mean for Germany?

Faster energy transition essential for 1.5 degree target

“Renewable energies play a key role in the rigorous implementation of the Paris climate targets in Germany. Their growth must be accelerated,” said Niklas Höhne, of the NewClimate Institute, presenting the study in Berlin. To achieve the 1.5 degree target, renewable energy must account for 100 percent of Germany's energy consumption by 2030, and for 100 percent of heating, industrial energy use and transport before 2035.

Electric cars are still a rarity in Germany.

The study found that Germany must renounce coal and lignite, which account for a large share of the country's electricity production, even earlier.

“The planned exit from lignite, or brown coal and hard coal for power production must be substantially accelerated. “The exit must happen by around 2025, other fossil energy sources for electricity production – like gas – must be replaced by 2030,” the study concluded.

Meanwhile, a radical transformation of the transport sector must take place. Electric cars are still a rarity in Germany. For the 1.5 degree target, that has to change – and fast.