Berlin Unable To Implement Climate Action Plan By 2020 - German Embassy In Russia

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 17th January, 2019) Germany will not be able to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 40 percent until 2020 and fulfill the plan to protect the climate, First Secretary at the German Embassy in Russia Matthias Dehner said Wednesday.

"We have a big problem. According to the statistical data in 2016, there was a decrease in CO2 emissions by only 27.6 percent from the required 40 percent, which we should reach by 2020. The latest figures are slightly better, but it is already clear that the current growth will not allow us to reach 40 percent," Dehner told reporters.

Denher stressed that Germany adopted a plan in 2016 to protect the climate by 2050 and assumed the international commitments to reduce CO2 emissions by 40 percent until 2020 compared with 1990.

By 2030, emissions should be reduced by 55 percent.

According to Dehner, the climate plan failure was caused by several reasons. First of all, energy consumption had not decreased as much as expected, and secondly, energy efficiency had grown more slowly than planned, he added.

Dehner further noted that construction and transport sectors were lagging behind the target indicators. The emissions from the transport industry rather increased, than decreased, he concluded.

According to the energy strategy approved by the German government, the share of renewable energy sources in the country's energy balance should increase from current 20 percent and reach at least 80 percent by 2050. In this case, nuclear power plants will be pulled of operation by the end of 2022.