This article discusses how German greenhouse gas emissions fall for first time in four years. Though renewables played a role in the 4.2 percent drop it has largely been attributed to warm weather. Despite this good news the country is certain to miss its 2020 target of reducing emissions by 40 percent over 1990.
Germany’s Environment Ministry announced Tuesday that the country emitted 4.2 percent less carbon dioxide in 2018 than it did in 2017. The figure represents a 30.6 percent drop over 1990. It is the first significant reduction after four years of stagnation.
Renewables played a major role in 38-million-ton reduction, which environmental authorities say avoided roughly 184 million tons of emissions compared to fossil fuels producing the same amount of energy. In all, Germany emitted 868.7 metric tons of carbon.
Although the news of emission reductions and the role of renewables was welcome, many, including Environment Minister Svenja Schulze, pointed out that exceptionally warm weather was largely responsible for the drop.