WWF study shows Germany's dirtiest factories

A steel mill near Bremen: Many emissions come from the steel or iron industry. © Sina Schuldt / dpa

Germany's emissions come largely from the steel and iron industries. This is the result of a study commissioned by the environmental organization WWF. An overview.

Berlin - Iron and steel production accounts for an important share of industrial greenhouse gas emissions in Germany. These are the findings of a study conducted by the Oeko-Institut on behalf of the environmental organisation WWF Germany.

According to the German Council of Experts on Climate Issues, Germany emitted a total of 746 million tonnes of greenhouse gases last year - these are preliminary figures. As a source of climate-damaging gases, industry was in second place behind the energy sector with 164 million tonnes.

WWF: "The industrial sector is a heavyweight in CO₂ emissions"

"The industrial sector is a heavyweight in terms of CO₂ emissions and thus also in terms of climate protection. Transforming it is one of the most important tasks for politics and business," says Viviane Raddatz, head of climate change at WWF Germany. However, the areas mentioned are not yet adequately fulfilling this task. The German government should finally keep its promises and present "a comprehensive strategy for climate protection in industry that creates planning and investment security".

There is a need for regulatory guidelines and subsidies for smaller companies as well, says Raddatz. The openness to technology, which is often emphasized at the moment, must be honest: "What is actually available where and when on the required scale, keyword hydrogen?" she asks.

Study: These are Germany's dirtiest factories

In their paper, the Oeko-Institut and the WWF break down the top 30 industrial plants in Germany by greenhouse gas emissions, the so-called "Dirty Thirty". The focus is on industrial production facilities. Industrial power plants largely exclude them. Plants from iron and steel production occupy places 1 to 13, followed by a lime plant.

The more or less laudable top spot is held by a ThyssenKrupp steel mill in Duisburg, Germany, with 7.9 million tons of CO₂ emitted. Also in Duisburg is number two in the negative ranking: Hüttenwerke Krupp Mannesmann, which, at 4.2 million tons, only blows a good half of its emissions into the air. Bronze goes to Rogesa Roheisengesellschaft Saar in Saarland, which is responsible for 4 million tonnes of CO₂ with its pig iron production. In fourth and fifth place is Salzgitter Flachstahl with the Glocke Salzgitter and Salzgitter Flachstahl plants.

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There are different methods of recording greenhouse gas emissions by sector. When recording the respective installations, the researchers were guided by the methodology in the EU emissions trading scheme, in which issuers have to prove rights to emit climate-damaging gases and can thus trade. This means that the researchers do not cover a part of the industry, for example mobile machines in the construction industry. (dpa, lf)