Germany set to miss 2020 climate targets by at least 5 years

Germany is on course to miss its 2020 greenhouse gas reduction targets by at least five years, despite a new package of measures approved by the country’s ‘climate cabinet’ in September. 

While Germany had committed to reduce emissions by 40% on 1990 levels by next year, the government has long recognised that it will fail to do so. The country is on course to have reduced emissions by only 33.2%.

Research commissioned by Greenpeace Germany finds that new plans to introduce a carbon price for the transport and building sectors, which along with the energy sector are the main stumbling blocks to cutting emissions, “barely have any steering effect” on short-term emissions.