Transcript Climate Policy in Germany

Climate Policy in Germany
A brief overview
Manfred Treber, Christoph Bals and Gerold Kier
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History of German Climate Policy
•
1987 Warning of German Meteorological Society and German Physical
Society on the foreseeable dangerous climate change
•
1990 Report of Federal Parliamentary Commission on preventing
climate change,
demanding a reduction of the CO2 emissions of Germany by
30 % until 2005
50 % until 2020
80 % until 2050
compared to 1987 levels (unanimously)
•
1990 German government decision to reduce CO2 emissions of
Germany by 25 % until 2005
•
1998 German Kyoto target as part of EU burden sharing: -21 % (until
2008-12, on the basis of 1990)
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Overview of German CO2 Emissions
Germany (total)
Germany (West)
Germany (East)
Source:
www.volker-quaschning.de
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Effective Policies and Measures
in Germany
• Renewable energy act (EEG)
• Ecological tax reform (in 1999)
• Energy Saving Ordinance (effective
instrument mainly for new buildings)
• Reform of the (regional) rail transport
system
 will also have effects on future emissions
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CO2 emissions by sector in Germany
•
Service
Sector
•
Households
•
Transport
•
Industry
•
Power
supply
Source: DIW
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Changes in CO2 emissions by sector
1990 -2002
1990-1995
1995-2002
1990-2002
•
•
•
•
•
•
Source: DIW
Power supply
Industry
Transport
Households
Service
Sector
Total
Emissions
=> Marked increase in transport sector
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Weak points of German Climate Policy
General
> Successes are not sufficient to fulfill the "minus 25% target" for 2005 of
the German government
> Unclear whether the German "minus 21% target" (until 2008-12,
according to EU burden sharing agreement) can be reached after the
weak targets for industry and energy sector in the NAP
> Germany is no longer the main driving force in European climate policy
(also due to weak NAP)
Necessities
•
Need for more investment in energy efficient buildings by private
households
•
Freight transport on the road (64% projected increase of road freight
traffic until 2015, mainly due to eastward enlargement of EU)
•
Increase in cogeneration (combined heat and power production)
disappointing (due to influence of coal lobby)
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Future Steps of German Climate Policy
•
Emissions trading system starting in 2005
as implementation of a directive of the European Union
will be a major step to regulate emissions from large point sources such as
refineries or power plants
This cap-and-trade mechanism restricts nearly half of the overall emissions
of the European Union (EU) and is essential to reach the Kyoto target.
Recent development:
German National Allocation Plan was submitted to EU in due time (31 March
2004)
•
New National Climate Strategy of the German Government
expected to be adopted after decision on law on emissions trading
Still official position: Germany intends to reduce its absolute emissions by
40% until 2020 if the EU agrees on a 30% target
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National Allocation Plan (NAP) for the
EU emissions trading system
• First plan covers 2005-07, second 2008-12
• Targets for German sectors were agreed on 30 March
2004:
– Industry was granted 15 million tons of additional
yearly CO2 emissions until 2008-12 compared to its
own "volontary target"
=> these 15 M t are an additional burden upon
private households and transportation sector,
questionable if this target can be reached with
current policies
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Aviation sector
•
•
•
... is one of the weakeast points in German climate policy
... is the mode of transport with highest impacts on global warming
On the international arena there are no limitations of these emissions,
and none are in sight
Figure: Past and projected impact of worldwide car and air traffic on global
warming (source: OECD)
Car traffic
Air traffic
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For further information, please visit our website:
www.germanwatch.org
or contact:
Dr. Manfred Treber
Germanwatch, Bonn office
Kaiserstr. 201
53113 Bonn, GERMANY
phone +49 (0)228 - 60492-14
[email protected]
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