German proposal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 95%
A proposal from Germany’s Energy Agency Umweltbundesamt (commonly known as UBA) would see the country’s lofty goal of an 80% reduction in emissions by 2050 raised even further to 95%. With reductions in hydropower and geothermal having reached their potential, biomass, wind, and solar remain areas for growth.
A reduction of this magnitude would represent a drop from 10 tonnes per capita of CO2-equivalent emissions per year to less than 1 tonne.
Following two decades of substantial CO2 reduction, UBA believe Germany will have to make it with wind and solar primarily if they are going to achieve their target of being almost completely carbon neutral in less than forty years. Achieving the target of 1 tonne of emissions annually per capita is part of the story domestically speaking, but to balance their carbon ledger fully UBA suggests that “the last remaining tonne per capita could be offset by reduction measures outside Germany.”
“Reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 95 per cent is only possible if all sectors do their bit,” claims UBA, identifying agriculture as the main producer of emissions in their energy profile for 2050. Raising cattle is the main obstacle in this field, with a widespread and unlikely reduction in red meat consumption needed to have a meaningful impact.
The report being published in English suggests that the proposed measures are aimed not only at Germany, but could be adopted by other industrialised nations. Craig Morris from Renewables International says of the proposal, “In the end, the study is not really about what Germany can do, however, but about what “large industrialized countries” can. Germany is often ridiculed for its poor solar and wind conditions. Does that mean that if Germany can do it, it will be so much easier for so many other countries?”
