Carbon emissions in Germany reach their lowest levels in 70 years!

ArabiaWeather - A study published on Thursday revealed that carbon dioxide emissions in Germany, the largest industrial country in Europe, have reached their lowest level in about 70 years, thanks to a stronger-than-expected decline in the use of coal.

Carbon emissions in Germany reach their lowest levels in 70 years

Last year, carbon dioxide emissions reached 673 million tons, “the lowest level since the 1950s,” down significantly from 746 million tons in 2022, according to estimates by expert group Agora Energiewende.

The group reported that Germany's performance was better than the annual target of a maximum of 722 million tons of carbon dioxide, set out in the German climate protection law.

This decline is largely due to a sharp decline in coal-fired electricity production, and although coal use increased in 2022 to compensate for the halt in the flow of Russian gas to Germany, coal burning fell last year to levels dating back to the 1960s.

The reason for the decline in coal burning is that energy consumption in Germany as a whole decreased by 3.9% per year, reflecting difficulties faced by the industrial sector. Industrial emissions fell by about 20 million tons, or 12%, year on year.

In addition, Germany increased its electricity imports in 2023, with half coming from renewables and a quarter from nuclear, according to the research center.

Structural transformations also played a role in this achievement, as Germany continues its energy transition by increasing reliance on electricity production from renewable energy sources.

The proportion of electricity produced from renewable energy sources, especially wind and solar, reached 55% last year, compared to 48% in 2022, the Federal Electricity Grid Agency noted on Wednesday.

The share of coal in the production mix fell to 26% compared to about 34% in 2022.

On the other hand, the research group confirmed that the housing and transportation sectors witnessed “almost stagnancy” in their emissions and failed for the fourth and third years in a row to achieve climate goals.

Experts point out that Germany, in order to achieve the goals it has set for itself, needs an “investment push” to modernize heating systems in buildings and in the industrial sector. They estimate that only 15% of emissions reductions in 2023 will be of a “sustainable” nature, consistent with long-term goals.

Source: skynewsarabia