Germany will clearly miss its climate targets for the next two decades without additional efforts.

The climate protection measures adopted so far will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 49 percent by 2030 and by 67 percent by 2040 compared to 1990, according to calculations published on Tuesday by several research institutes on behalf of the Federal Environment Ministry.

According to the Climate Protection Act, the reduction should be 65 percent by 2030 and 88 percent by 2040.

In the so-called projection report 2021 for the federal government, all climate protection measures that were decided by the end of August 2020 were taken into account.

However, there were still relevant resolutions afterwards, in particular the amendment to the Climate Protection Act this summer.

A draft of the report was published in August.

Greater savings in the energy sector

According to the calculations, the greenhouse gas reductions in the individual sectors are very different.

The energy sector therefore has the largest share in the overall reduction - in particular as a result of the coal phase-out.

The expansion of renewables and the CO2 pricing in EU emissions trading are also noticeable here.

Nevertheless, even here the legally stipulated target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 77 percent by 2030 - compared to 1990 - is not achieved: For this period, the report only predicts a reduction of 58 percent.

Accordingly, 84 percent will be achieved by 2040.

For industry, the report assumes a 45 percent decrease in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and 51 percent by 2040 - in each case compared to 1990. However, the Climate Protection Act prescribes a reduction of 58 percent for 2030.

For the building sector, reductions of 57 percent by 2030 and 76 percent by 2040 are predicted.

According to the law, a minus of 68 percent should be achieved by 2030.

The gap in the numbers in the transport sector is even more pronounced.

An emissions reduction of 48 percent is envisaged here by 2030 - but only 23 percent will be achieved by then, and 52 percent by 2040.

“The report clearly shows that existing instruments need to be refined and new ones developed in order to achieve the climate goals,” said Ralph Harthan from the Öko-Institut, summarizing the results.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research, the Institute for Resource Efficiency and Energy Strategies (Irees) and the Thünen Institute were also involved in the projection report.

The report is drawn up every two years based on EU requirements.