Report by the Expert Council: Climate targets for 2022 only partially achieved

Germany released fewer greenhouse gases last year than in 2021. But the decline could only be temporary, warns the Federal Government’s Expert Council. With a view to the reform of the climate protection law, the Council calls for improvements.

By 2030, Germany wants to reduce its emissions of greenhouse gases to at least 65 percent compared to 1990. But this goal is in danger, warned the Expert Council for Climate Issues on the occasion of the publication of its Report on the calculation of greenhouse gas emissions for 2022.

According to the calculations of the Federal Environment Agency (UBA), reviewed by the Expert Council, Germany met its climate target last year. Greenhouse gas emissions were 746.2 million tons – a good 15 million tons less than in the previous year. This corresponds to a reduction of 1.9 percent. The figures from the UBA are provisional – definitive figures will not be known until the beginning of next year.

Klima benefited from stagnant economic growth

“It could give the impression that Germany is on the right track when it comes to meeting the climate targets,” said Hans-Martin Henning, chairman of the expert council. “But this impression is put into perspective when you take a closer look.”

Germany reached its climate target in 2022 because the industry produced fewer emissions due to the war of aggression in Ukraine, the energy crisis and problems with supply chains, Henning emphasized. If economic growth had not been reduced, emissions would have been nine million tons higher. The decline could only be temporary.

Traffic and buildings miss targets

The experts are particularly concerned about the areas of transport and buildings – both missed their annual climate target. The building sector emitted six million fewer tons of CO2, probably because of the mild weather and a temporary change in heating habits. But that’s not enough, for the third year in a row the sector has failed to meet annual climate targets.

The transport sector again exceeded the climate targets by 9.7 million tons. For the second time in a row, the sector tore the targets. According to the scientists, there is no sign of a trend reversal. The mileage in 2022 was at the level of 2019.

According to the preliminary figures, the targets in the energy industry were only just achieved – despite a significant increase in emissions from 245 in 2021 to 256 million tons of CO2 in 2022. Savings in natural gas were given as the reason for this – instead the industry increasingly relied on stone and Lignite, but also to more renewable energies.

Expert council warns against relaxation of climate protection laws

With a view to meeting the climate protection targets for 2030, 2035 and 2045, the Expert Council warned against relaxing the climate protection laws. In the current law, every sector – such as energy, buildings or transport – has annual CO2 targets that must be met. The traffic light coalition plans to change that. Compliance with the goals is to be checked on the basis of a cross-sectoral and multi-annual accounting. One sector can thus compensate for the shortcomings of another.

The experts criticized this possible softening of express departmental responsibility and the considerations of changing the control mechanism, increasing the risk of not achieving the climate targets. Chairman Henning appealed to the federal government to review the advantages and disadvantages of the planned reform again.