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Lots of traffic: cars on the way to downtown Cologne
Photo: Oliver Berg / dpa
Despite the restrictions caused by the corona pandemic, a study shows that Germany is moving away from its climate targets. In 2021, the building sector failed to meet the requirements laid down in the climate law for the second year in a row, as a study published on Friday by the “Agora-Energiewende” shows based on initial data. In spite of the temporary lockdown at the beginning of the year, the transport sector also emitted a little more of the climate-damaging greenhouse gas CO₂ than was permitted by law.
The bottom line is that emissions in Germany increased by 4.5 percent in 2021 compared to 2020.
"The rise in emissions is mainly due to increased energy consumption in the course of the partial economic recovery, a cold winter with increasing heating requirements and a higher proportion of climate-damaging coal-fired electricity," says the study, the authors of which have already warned: "There is further economic recovery an increase in emissions also likely in 2022. "
Energy generation with its coal and gas power plants is responsible for most of the emissions among the various sectors.
Here, CO₂ emissions rose by 14 percent.
Nevertheless, according to Agora, the sector is still on track to meet the climate targets with a view to 2030.
In addition to the economic recovery, other factors drove emissions up: for example, renewable energy plants generated less electricity due to weak winds and less sunshine.
Above all, however, the price of natural gas multiplied.
Therefore, coal became cheaper in comparison to generate electricity.
The sharp rise in the price of rights to CO₂ emissions did nothing to change that.
When burned, natural gas produces only about half as much CO₂ as coal.
kig / Reuters
