Germany’s commitment to climate neutrality by 2045 remains in place, but achieving this target will require significant and sustained effort, according to Economy Minister Katarina Reiche. Speaking in an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Reiche acknowledged the ambition of the 2045 goal, emphasizing the complexity of the required transformation and noting that progress will not be linear.
The accelerated timeline for climate neutrality was adopted in 2021 by the current coalition government following a ruling by the Federal Constitutional Court, which deemed previous reduction pathways insufficient and potentially unfair to future generations. While a linear reduction path was chosen, alternative strategies that could have resulted in earlier and more substantial CO2 reductions, leaving a larger residual budget beyond 2045, were theoretically possible.
Responding to recent comments from the International Court of Justice regarding the need for states to regulate the actions of individuals and businesses to achieve climate objectives, Reiche cautioned against excessive regulation. She specifically referenced the building energy law introduced by her predecessor, Robert Habeck, which faced considerable opposition and stressed the importance of voluntary participation, particularly from homeowners, to implement energy-efficiency upgrades and new heating systems. “Many homeowners felt overwhelmed in the last legislative period” she noted, criticizing previous government’s focus on granular details within the building energy law.
Revisions to the law are in progress, aiming for a more understandable, streamlined and technology-neutral approach. Simultaneously, local municipalities are expected to provide citizens with viable and attractive heating solutions, such as district heating. Reiche underscored that effective local heat planning is vital for achieving climate goals within the building sector.
The Minister has initiated a thorough review of the progress and objectives of Germany’s energy transition, with findings anticipated by the end of August. This assessment will focus on synchronizing the expansion of renewable energy sources with grid development. Reiche also advocated for greater operational responsibility from renewable energy plant operators, potentially including contributing to infrastructure costs and becoming subject to network operator directives.
Reiche strongly supports integrating all technologies into the pathway to climate neutrality, including Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS). She announced plans to finalize the CCS law in cabinet this summer to provide industry with needed investment clarity. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recognizes CCS as essential for managing unavoidable emissions from industries like cement, steel and chemicals, but cautions that it should not diminish the urgency of immediate emission reductions. CCS technologies, however, have historically proven costly and challenging to scale and remain significantly below planned capacities. Ensuring the long-term storage of captured CO2 without leakage remains a critical challenge for CCS projects, as any release would contribute to global warming.