Liquefied natural gas imports consume a significant share of the Federal Republic of Germany’s carbon dioxide emissions.
The news, based on the latest figures, was published by Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH),
one of the most respected environmental associations in the Federal Republic of Germany.
Based on the current liquefied natural gas (LNG) deliveries, which occupy 7 terminals, the total is 2.1 gigatonnes. This would mean that Germany would use three quarters of the Paris Agreement carbon emission limit with this project.
However, experts say the planned 12 terminals already make Germany’s already difficult climate targets unachievable. Previously, the country had envisaged phasing out fossil gas-fired devices by 2043. But the current changes will make Germany’s 2045 climate neutrality target impossible, warns DUH.
The DUH has been involved in climate protection monitoring for more than 40 years and is currently pursuing a number of cases against companies for consumer deception and greenwashing.
As you will recall, Germany’s climate protection plan calls for a 40 percent reduction in emissions by the 2014 deadline. The greatest pressure is on electricity producers. Their emissions must be halved by 2030. This can only be achieved by decommissioning coal-fired power plants.
According to a study commissioned by the NewClimate Institute, Greenpeace, to reach the 1.5 degree target, Germany’s electricity generation needs to be climate neutral by 2030 and the switch to renewables should be completed, Deutsche Welle report.
The second major area where experts are calling for urgent and very rapid change is industry. Companies that are at the forefront of greenhouse gas emissions can deliver the results that will lead to substantial reductions. In addition, environmentally friendly actions in transport, large-scale livestock farming and agriculture seem to be the best way to meet the climate targets.
However, a problem from the outset has been that the German climate plan has lacked concrete measures for implementation and has often been little more than a guideline.
Another difficulty was that, based on preliminary calculations, immediate action, much more coherent and stringent austerity packages would have been needed to achieve implementation. The programme thus lost much of the time for action that would have allowed for a ‘more pleasant’ transition.
Source: duh.de, dw.com | Kováts Andrea