Field of action 1: Avoiding and reducing greenhouse gases (mitigation)
Germany aims to be largely greenhouse gas neutral by 2050. To achieve this, greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced by at least 55 per cent by 2030 compared with 1990 levels in accordance with the Federal Climate Action Act. This requires competitive measures with a high leverage effect in terms of the potential to save and avoid greenhouse gases.
In 2019, Germany emitted around 805 million tonnes of CO2. The biggest polluters are the energy sector at 254 million tonnes, the industrial sector at 188 million tonnes, and agriculture at 68 million tonnes of CO2. Practicable solutions must be found in all sectors so that investment in climate protection pays off and greenhouse gases are substantially reduced. Our actions on CO2 reduction, CO2 industrial use and green hydrogen are working towards this goal. Despite all efforts to avoid and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, we must also consider the possibility that the required greenhouse gas neutrality may not be achieved quickly enough to meet the Paris climate targets. Another field of action that we are therefore still developing is removing CO2 from the atmosphere. A solid knowledge base is needed to better assess the opportunities and risks. Only then can a political course be set, and practical implementation take place.
We will use CO2 and other waste gases as raw materials, avoid emissions of greenhouse gases and develop solutions for sustainable primary industries.
We will make green hydrogen marketable and enable its production, transportability and usability on an industrial scale.
We will investigate methods of actively extracting CO2 from the atmosphere and identify the most environmentally friendly courses of action.
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