People in Germany doubtful that 2030 climate targets will be achieved – survey
Clean Energy Wire
People in Germany are increasingly doubtful that the country will achieve its 2030 climate targets, from the expansion of renewable energy to the growth of electric vehicles on the country's roads, according to the autumn edition of the Energy Radar survey by consultancy EY. Seventy-seven percent of those surveyed doubt that the target of covering 80 percent of electricity with renewables by 2030 will be achieved, up six percentage points compared to the previous survey in summer. The German government is aiming to have 15 million electric passenger cars on the roads by 2030, and wants ensure the roll out of 1 million charging points by that date. However, only around a fifth (23%) of respondents consider the current funding measures sufficient to achieve the first target, and a quarter consider the charging point target realistic. "Without the confidence of the population, it will be difficult to master the switch to renewable energies for mobility, electricity and heat," EY's head of energy and resources Andreas Siebel said.
When it comes to energy supply, security was the top priority for the majority (54%) of respondents. This was followed by environmental and climate protection, which rose two percentage points compared to summer. "Ecological issues are steadily gaining in importance again and people increasingly trust in a secure energy supply," Siebel said. On the mobility transition, the majority (74%) of respondents support a general speed limit on Germany's motorways to achieve climate goals. Overall, 72 percent say they don’t usually drive faster than 130 km/h on motorways, with the vast majority of them doing so to save fuel and/or to reduce emissions. EY's Energy Radar is a regular survey aimed at gaining an overview of consumer opinion on energy policy.
Germany will miss its climate targets for 2030 and 2045 without additional measures despite considerable progress being made, according to the emissions projections report 2023 by the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) published in August.
