Germany greenlights climate protection programme for 2023

The Federal Cabinet in Germany has approved the 2023 climate protection programme, which aims to bring the country closer to its climate goals by 2030. With the included measures, the government can potentially close up to 80% of the existing climate protection gap by 2030, putting Germany on track to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 65% compared to 1990 levels.

Germany aims to accelerate the transition to renewables, targeting an 80% share of power consumption from clean sources by 2030. Reforms to the Renewable Energy Act include new capacity goals for 2030, such as 115 GW for onshore wind and 215 GW for solar PV. Offshore wind power legislation is revamped, increasing the 2030 capacity target to at least 30 GW (at least 40 GW by 2040, and at least 70 GW by 2045) and streamlining planning and permitting procedures.

In the buildings sector, the country sets a goal to produce 50% of building heat in a climate-neutral manner by 2030. New heating systems will be required to operate with at least 65% renewable energy by the mid to end-2020s. Measures are also introduced to drive decarbonisation in the industrial sector. Concerning transports, the government proposes adjustments to fuel taxes based on their climate impact. Other proposals include a target of achieving a 25% market share for rail freight transport by 2030

While the programme significantly reduces the climate protection gap, it does not entirely close it by 2030, leaving around 200 MtCO_2eq to be addressed, primarily in the transport sector. This programme represents however a substantial step towards achieving greenhouse gas neutrality by 2045.