It was already disclosed by the government of Chancellor Angela Merkel that Germany will be five percent behind its 2020 climate goal of forty-percent reduction in carbon dioxide emission. However, a study conducted by Agora Energiewende forecasts that the deviation will actually be larger than the previous estimate. Instead of five percent, Germany is lagging by ten percent, according to Agora.
“Only thirty percent instead of forty percent less carbon dioxide is not a little bit off, but a huge miss of the climate goal for 2020,” expresses Patrick Graichen, the Agora director. Agora Energiewende explains that Germany could reach only as far as thirty percent reduction because of the country’s strong economic growth and immigration. Agora has been supportive of Germany’s climate ambitions, shifting from fossil fuel to renewable sources.
Merkel was criticized for not being able to set Germany’s pace fast enough to end its dependence on fossil fuels as it eliminates usage of nuclear power. Just last March, she suggested to the next government that in order for their local governments and companies be able to plan ahead, they should already be placing longer-term goals for reduction of carbon dioxide emissions right after the national election.
