Germany “without sense of direction” on path to climate neutrality – advisors

Germany has annual greenhouse gas reduction targets for individual economic sectors, but the country lacks “long-term, strategic considerations” how to reach these targets and become climate neutral by 2045, said government advisors in Berlin. Medium and long-term policy planning is “currently suspended,” wrote the climate action science platform (Wissenschaftsplattform Klimaschutz – WPKS), a government advisory panel, in its position paper ‘Gaps in German climate policy’, adding that planning security was necessary for long-term investments into the transformation. “Germany is currently without a sense of direction on the bumpy path toward climate neutrality,” said WPKS co-head Sabine Schlacke. The experts identified six areas especially relevant for long-term planning, including socially-just climate action, securing acceptance for the transformation among citizens, industrial policy and a sustainable finance sector.

Germany aims to become climate neutral by 2045, laid out in the country’s climate action law. The legislation also stipulates annual greenhouse gas reduction targets for each economic sector, such as buildings, energy or transport. Much of the government’s planning to implement climate action focusses on reaching 2030 targets.