Germany sets climate emergency plan in transport

Germany’s economy, transport and construction ministries on Wednesday presented emergency programs to cut emissions in construction and transport after the two sectors missed their 2021 carbon-dioxide reduction targets, threatening the country’s 2030 overall climate goals.

After a court ruled last year that Germany must tighten its climate protection law, the then-government set more ambitious CO2 reduction targets.

The new coalition government last year presented plans to step up climate protection efforts that entail far-reaching reforms for the utility sector and across manufacturing industries, buildings, transport and agriculture.

In March, Germany’s Environment Agency said CO2 emission in the country’s transport sector were at 148.1 million tonnes last year, missing its targeted 145 million tonnes.

So far, transport, which accounted for 19per cent of Germany’s greenhouse emissions in 2021, has been Germany’s slowest sector in its attempt to reduce emissions. Last year, the sector’s emissions were down 9.4per cent compared with 1990.

The construction sector emitted 115 million tonnes of CO2 equivalents last year, also missing its targeted 112 million tonnes. The ministries had a July 13 deadline to present a program to ensure that sector would comply with annual emission targets in coming years.

The transport emergency program pushes for expanding refueling and charging infrastructure for passenger and commercial vehicles and expands the funding for heavy commercial vehicles and cycling paths.

It earmarks an additional 250 million euros ($250.90 million)for cycling infrastructure by 2030 and will support a “digitisation push” to promote working from home as a way to cut transport emissions.

The measures could save around 13 million tonnes of CO2 equivalents by 2030 in transport, compensating for the 2021 shortfall, the transport ministry said.

For construction, an emergency plan will oblige all newly installed heating systems in Germany to be operated with 65per cent renewable energy from 2024.

The government also plans to increase renovations of public buildings to become more energy efficient.

The plan provides incentives for switching fossil heating networks to renewable energies and for new heating networks that produce at lease 75per cent of heat from renewables and waste heat.