Germany pledges to phase out fossil fuels for first time with target of 2045
3 hours ago
- Germany has committed to phasing out fossil fuels by 2045, marking a notable policy shift with an explicit promise to transition away from them.
- The plan aims to increase renewable energy to 80% of electricity generation by 2030, including 12GW of onshore wind and 215GW of solar energy targets.
- Germany reaffirmed its coal exit by 2038, with a potential earlier target of 2035, and pledged to cut methane emissions by 30% by 2030.
- Critics, like Andreas Sieber of 350.org, warn that Germany's economic ministry is also pushing for greater gas use, which could undermine the transition.
- Former climate envoy Jennifer Morgan emphasizes the need to accelerate electrification of transport and heating, noting that a roadmap is only the starting line.
- The push for heat pumps faced political backlash from the far-right, leading to weakened rules, but heat pumps now make up about half of new domestic heating systems.
- Germany's roadmap follows similar pledges from France and the Netherlands, after an international conference in Colombia in April 2023.
- The plan comes amid concerns about the UN's climate leadership after António Guterres's term ends, while the UK has yet to publish its own fossil fuel phaseout pledge.