The Federal Environment Ministry responded on Friday to an estimate by the think tank Agora Energiewende. Based on preliminary data, it calculated that greenhouse gas emissions in the first half of the year fell by only seven percent to 327 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent. If this trend continues, Germany would miss its legally binding climate target for the first time, the authors warned.
A spokesman for Carsten Schneider (SPD) said the Federal Environment Agency would present the decisive emissions data for 2026 by mid-March 2027. “Only then will we have a reliable basis to assess the climate balance for 2026,” the spokesman said. For a “reliable, solid assessment,” it is “still far too early today.” Estimates should not be confused with an official annual balance sheet.
Agora Energiewende clarified that the calculations were not a forecast but a trend projection. The pace of emission reductions depends heavily on political framework conditions, the economy, and weather. Director Julia Bläsius called for accelerated grid expansion and a consistent focus on renewable energy.
The federal government points to additional measures from the climate protection programme from late March. These include 7.6 billion euros for the Climate and Transformation Fund by 2030 and the tendering of wind turbines with a capacity of twelve gigawatts. Germany is obliged to reduce its emissions by 65 percent by 2030 compared with 1990.
Source: www.faz.net
