However, the final figures will not be known until the beginning of next year.
(Photo: IMAGO/Wienold)
Berlin Germany emitted fewer greenhouse gases last year than in 2021. Corresponding calculations by the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) essentially confirmed the Expert Council for Climate Issues in a report published in Berlin on Monday. However, the final figures will not be known until the beginning of next year.
Emissions fell slightly by 1.9 percent in 2022, according to the expert council, like the Federal Environment Agency before it. Around 746 million tons of greenhouse gases were released, a good 15 million tons less than in 2021. Economic growth, which was lower than expected due to the Ukraine war, dampened emissions.
Both the transport and the building sector missed their annual climate target, with increasing emissions in the transport sector and falling emissions in the building sector. Emissions in the energy sector rose significantly – more hard coal and lignite was burned there – but the climate target was met.
The traffic light coalition of SPD, Greens and FDP wants to reform the climate protection law and relax the requirements. In the future, the total emission of greenhouse gases will count, the balance of individual areas will be less important.
However, the expert council warned against relaxing the climate protection law. In view of the renewed failure to meet the requirements for transport and buildings, the responsible ministers must remain responsible, the committee demanded on Monday after the review of the German climate balance for 2022.
“A possible softening of the express departmental responsibility and the various considerations for changing the control mechanism in the Climate Protection Act increase the risk of future missed targets,” emphasized Deputy Chairwoman Brigitte Knopf.
“This budget approach is a central basic idea of the law”. This is important in view of the challenges identified in an earlier report for achieving the target for the years up to 2030.
According to the Climate Protection Act, the independent expert council must check the German UBA emissions data and analyze the suitability of government programs.
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