Renewable Energy Wins Against Fossils – a First for This Country!

In 2020, for the very first time in its history, Germany saw renewable sources of energy overtake fossil fuels by a whopping 45% in electricity production, reducing its emission of greenhouse gas and achieving its 2020 climate target.

If those numbers are due to an economic recession and the coronavirus lockdown, the emissions drop is also due climate policy. “The good development in climate action did not come out of the blue,” says Environment minister Svenja Schulze. “Emissions are already falling significantly for the third year in a row.” Wind energy alone produced more electricity than coal and lignite. In 2020, 25% more rooftop solar panels were installed than the previous year.

The total greenhouse gas emissions fell by 80 million tons of CO₂ in 2020. The country overshot by 40% of its original annual target. This means that its emissions were 42% lower than 1990 levels. And since Germany needs to increase its climate efforts to raise the 2030 target established by the EU, “a greenhouse gas reduction of at least 65% compared to 1990, instead of the current 55%, is appropriate for Germany,” says Patrick Graiche, head of the think tank Agora Energiewende.