adminGermany’s carbon dioxide emissions in 2023 were at their lowest point in around 70 years, as Europe’s largest economy managed to reduce its dependence on coal faster than expected, a study published Thursday showed.
Germany emitted 673 million tonnes of the greenhouse gases last year, 73 million tonnes fewer than in 2022, according to the Berlin-based think tank, Agora Energiewende.
The figure was at its lowest point “since the 1950s”, Agora said in a statement, while warning that Germany had work to do to further reduce its emissions.
The drop was “largely attributable to a strong decrease in coal power generation”, Agora said.
Germany had resorted to the fuel in the wake of the Russian military operations in Ukraine, when Moscow cut off gas supplies to the European giant. But since then, Germany has pared down its use of the fossil fuel significantly.
Germany aims to phase out coal by 2038, but economy minister Robert Habeck has advocated an earlier exit by 2030, a date already agreed in western German states but resisted by the eastern brown coal belt.
Coal’s share of energy generation dropped to 26 percent from 34 percent, according to the federal network agency. — AFP.
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