Germany admits it would not meet its climate targets on time

The government set more ambitious _CO2 reduction targets, including achieving carbon neutrality by 2045.

Germany’s Minister of Economy and Climate Protection, Robert Habeck, told die Zeit newspaper that the country will probably not reach its carbon emission reduction targets in the next two years.

After a higher court ruled in April that Germany should tighten its climate protection law, the government set more ambitious _CO2 reduction targets, including reaching carbon neutrality by 2045.

The new coalition government laid out plans to step up climate protection efforts involving far-reaching reforms for the utility sector and for manufacturing, buildings, transport and agriculture.

“We are not likely to reach our 2022 targets … Even by 2023 it will be quite difficult. We started with a drastic delay,” said Habeck, co-leader of the Greens party.

The government intends to have laws ready to accelerate the approval of wind turbines by the end of next year, said the minister, who added that “2022 will be one of the most exhausting years that this ministry has lived in a long time.”

Source: The Economist