The rent cap has been in force in Berlin since the end of February 2020 and is now having an effect:
by 8%, asking rents for capped existing apartments are on average
while prices for new buildings not covered by the specifications rose by 17%.
For further reading:
Contribution from 14.5.2020
https://taz.de/Berliner-Mietendeckel-und-die-Folgen/!5683193
After a significant decline in the previous year, greenhouse gas emissions in Germany are on the rise again. Thus, around 762 million tonnes of greenhouse gases were released in 2021 - a good 33 million tonnes or 4.5 percent more than in 2020. Overall, emissions in Germany have thus fallen by 38.7 percent since 1990. The increase in the last year is particularly noticeable in the energy sector: This shows an increase of 27 million tonnes CO2-equivalents, as increased demand for electricity, lower electricity generation from renewable energies and the higher gas price led to increased use of coal for electricity generation. Electricity generation from renewables fell by seven per cent, mainly due to poor wind conditions. In the transport and building sectors, emissions were above the annual ceilings set by the Federal Climate Protection Act. This is shown by the latest calculations of the Federal Environment Agency (UBA), which are based on the specifications of the Federal Climate Protection Act and the EU-Renewable Energy Directive (RED) were presented today.
Climate State Secretary Patrick GraichenThe increase in greenhouse gas emissions has unfortunately become apparent. The Federal Government will now quickly counteract this with an immediate climate protection programme. The key is a much faster pace in the expansion of renewable energies. We must manage to install three times as much capacity as before in order to increase the share of renewables in electricity generation to 80% by 2030. There must be no more of the kind of stalemate we have seen in recent years. The Russian war of aggression on Ukraine has also made it dramatically clear to us how closely security and energy supply are linked. We can no longer afford to ignore this. That is why we must now quickly remove every stumbling block on the path to more wind and solar power. The faster shift away from fossil energies must encompass all sectors - from industrial production and buildings to mobility and agriculture. It is crucial to maintain the social balance in the process."
UBA-President Dirk Messner: "Almost half of the 2020 reduction in greenhouse gas emissions has already been lost. Our figures clearly show that the federal government's targets must be addressed as quickly as possible. We need to build more solar and wind power plants quickly. We must convert our buildings to heat pumps and stop installing oil and gas heating systems as soon as possible. We can also achieve a lot with our houses by saving energy, especially by making them more energy-efficient. This will also help to reduce our energy dependence on Russia. Each and every one of us can do something here that also helps the climate: heat a little less, leave the car parked more often or, if it is necessary, drive more slowly."
Current emission data in detail
Since 1990, emissions in Germany have fallen by 38.7 percent. The target for 2030 is a reduction of 65 percent. In 2021, there were increases in emissions compared to the previous year in almost all sectors. The available data show that since 2010, the energy transition in particular has contributed to the reduction of emissions. All other significant sectors have more or less stagnated since 2010.
© BMWK / Federal Environment Agency
In the sector Energy industry are with around 27 m. tonnes - this corresponds to 12.4 per cent more than in 2020. With around 247 tonnes, the m. Tons CO2-equivalents, however, emissions were still a good 11 m. There is no annual emission quantity for 2021 in the Federal Climate Protection Act for the energy sector. Emissions from hard coal and lignite-fired power generation increased particularly significantly due to the increased use of coal. The use of lower-emission natural gas, on the other hand, decreased in the second half of the year due to the significant increase in gas prices. The main reason for the increased use of fossil energy sources for electricity generation is the 17.5 TWh Significantly reduced electricity generation from renewable energies, in particular the lower wind power generation, and a 13.5 TWh increased gross electricity consumption.
At Traffic in 2021, around 148 m. Tons CO2-equivalents are emitted. This means that greenhouse gas emissions from this sector are both 1.2 per cent above the 2020 value and around 3 m. tonnes above the annual emission quantity of 145 tonnes permitted in the Federal Climate Protection Act for 2021. m. Tons CO2-equivalents. One reason for this is road freight traffic, which has risen again on the motorways to a level slightly above that of 2019. The CAR-In contrast, the level of traffic is still lower than before the Corona pandemic (2019), which is reflected in fuel sales figures and data from counting stations on motorways and trunk roads.
In the sector Industry emissions rose by a good 9 % compared to the previous year. m. Tons CO2-equivalents increased (plus 5.5 per cent). With around 181 m. Tons CO2-equivalents, they were almost at the 2019 level again, but just below the annual emission quantity of 182 m. Tons CO2- equivalents. Catching-up economic effects in the wake of the Corona crisis and increased use of fossil fuels play an important role here. The most significant percentage increase was in the steel industry, where crude steel production rose by around 12 percent. In the manufacturing industry (energy-related share), emissions increased by around seven m. Tons CO2-equivalents respectively 6.4 per cent.
At Buildings In 2021, there was an emission reduction of just under 4 m. Tons CO2-equivalents (minus 3.3 per cent) to around 115 m. Tons CO2-equivalents. Despite this reduction in emissions, the building sector, as in the previous year, exceeds the permitted annual emission quantity according to the Federal Climate Protection Act, which is 113 m. Tons CO2-equivalents. The reduction in emissions is mainly due to a special effect of significantly reduced heating oil purchases. Heating oil stocks were already increased extensively in 2019 and 2020 due to the favourable prices and in anticipation of the Fuel Emissions Trading Act. Natural gas consumption, on the other hand, increased due to the weather.
In the sector Agriculture Greenhouse gas emissions decreased by a good 1.2 m. Tons CO2-equivalents (minus 2.0 per cent) to 61 m. Tons CO2-equivalents. The sector thus remains significantly below the annual emission level of 68 m. Tons CO2-equivalents. The decline in animal numbers continues. Cattle numbers fell by 2.3 percent, pig numbers by 9.2 percent. As a result, there was less manure, which is why the emissions associated with fertilisation also fell (-4.0 percent compared to 2020). However, the significant undercutting of the set annual emission quantity is mainly due to methodological improvements in the calculation of emissions.
The emissions of the Waste sector fell by around 4.3 per cent compared to the previous year to a good eight per cent. m. Tons CO2-equivalents. This means that the waste sector once again remains below the annual emission level of nine m. Tons CO2-equivalents. The trend is essentially determined by the decreasing emissions from landfilling as a result of the ban on landfilling organic waste.
© BMWK / Federal Environment Agency
Further procedure under the Federal Climate Protection Act
The emission data for the year 2021 will now be reviewed by the Expert Council on Climate Issues, as provided for in the law. The expert council submits an assessment of the data within one month. After that, according to the law, the respective responsible ministries have three months to submit an emergency programme containing proposals for measures to bring the building sector and transport sector onto the intended target path in the coming years. However, the federal government is already working on an emergency climate protection programme that is intended to meet these requirements as far as possible.
© BMWK / Federal Environment Agency
Dirk Messner: "In order to achieve the German government's goals by 2030, six percent of emissions must now be reduced per year. Since 2010, the average has not even been two percent. To achieve this, Germany now needs a joint energy effort. Together, we must put all our energy into making ourselves independent of Russian energy and protecting our climate.
Current data on renewable energies
As early as 2020, the project, which was launched as part of the EU-Renewable Energies Directive (Renewable Energy DirectiveRED), Germany's binding target of 18 percent of gross final energy consumption was exceeded with 19.3 %. In 2021, the gross final energy consumption from renewable energies in the electricity, heating and transport sectors rose according to the calculation specifications of the RED further slightly to 483 Billion kWh an. This corresponded to a share of 19.7 per cent of total gross final energy consumption.
The main reason was that more renewable energies were used for heating and cooling due to the cold winter. For this reason - and because heating oil sales, which are decisive for the calculation of the share, also declined due to high inventories and rising oil prices - the share of renewable heat increased significantly from 15.3 to 16.5 percent in 2021. The heating and cooling sector accounts for more than half of Germany's total gross final energy consumption.
Electricity generation from renewable energies declined by seven percent in 2021 due to a comparatively poor wind year. At the same time, the expansion of onshore wind energy plants stagnated in recent years. The renewable share of gross electricity consumption fell accordingly from 45.2 percent in 2020 to 41.1 percent. Electricity consumption represents about a quarter of Germany's total gross final energy consumption. For the European monitoring according to RED the real decline in renewable electricity generation is, however, mitigated by a normalisation rule for compensating for weather effects over several years.
In the transport sector, the share of renewable energies in total final energy consumption fell from 7.6 percent in the previous year to 6.8 percent in 2021. This decline can be explained by special carry-over arrangements from earlier years under the greenhouse gas reduction quota and a higher crediting of upstream emission reductions. Transport is responsible for a good quarter of total energy consumption.
These and many other up-to-date and quality-assured data have been published in the background paper "Renewable Energies in Germany - Data on Development in 2021" by the Working Group on Renewable Energies Statistics (AGEE-Stat), which appeared today. The first available data on the use of renewable energies in the electricity, heat and transport sectors are supplemented by calculations on the associated avoided emissions and economic effects.
Further information:
The accuracy of the data
The present emission data for the year 2021 represent the best possible calculation at present. They are associated with corresponding uncertainties, in particular due to the limited statistical calculation basis available at this time. The calculations are derived from a system of model calculations and trend updates of the detailed inventories of greenhouse gas emissions for 2020 published in January 2022.
The complete, official and detailed inventory data on greenhouse gas emissions in Germany for the year 2021 is published by the UBA in January 2023 with the transmission to the European Commission.
Links
Source: PM from BMWK and UBA 15.03.2022
Keywords:
DE-News, Renewable, Climate protection, Mobility, Quarters, Settlements, City, Environmental policy, Housing, Housing policy
Anne Katrin Bohle has been State Secretary for Construction at the Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Housing since March 2019.
Until the German EU-The "Leipzig Charter" is to be further developed into the "Leipzig Charter 2.0" for the EU Council Presidency in 2020. The "Leipzig Charter", which is little known even among experts, invokes the values of "citizens' co-determination and self-determination, calls for social integration, the creation and use of public space, a strengthening of city centres and a mix of uses". And the "idea of the "European City" explicitly opposes one-sided and monotonous urban development. Against exclusion and isolation of individual city districts, against the ruthless enforcement of individual interests."
In an interview with Bauwelt, the Secretary of State for Construction explains the goals and approach:
www.bauwelt.de/rubriken/interview/Die-Charta-muss-mehr-als-nur-aktualisiert-werden-3430440.html
The German Chamber of Architects also reported:
www.dabonline.de/...leipzig-charta-kommentar-stadtentwicklung/
On 5 and 6 December 2019, the Bauwelt Congress will be held for this purpose:
https://siedlungen.eu/…bauwelt-kongress-2019-die-ganze-stadt
Keywords:
DE-News, News Blog Europe (without DE), Mix of uses, Quarters, SDG 2030, City, Environmental policy, Urban production, Housing policy
The 88th Conference of Environment Ministers has just passed a resolution in Bad Saarow on the "Promotion of Building with Wood", which was introduced by Rhineland-Palatinate. The document calls on the federal government to improve the framework conditions for timber construction.
According to the Rhineland-Palatinate Minister of the Environment, the positive climate protection properties of renewable raw materials are to be taken into account in building energy law, among other things.
This would be more than desirable, because the draft bill for the Building Energy Act (GEG) recently presented by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB) missed the opportunity to finally take the entire life cycle of buildings into account in the amendment.
Read more:
Keywords:
DE-News, Wood construction, Climate protection, NaWaRohs, News Blog RLP, Resource efficiency, Environmental policy, Life cycle assessment
The EU today agreed on stricter climate targets. Accordingly, greenhouse gases are now to be reduced by at least 55 percent below the 1990 level by 2030. Previously, the target was 40% for the same period. For the first time, the EU calculations also include the greenhouse gases stored in forests and other "sinks".
"Billion-dollar pots are planned for this purpose: a modernization fund fed by revenues from emissions trading; a fund for just change, but also the 750 billion Corona reconstruction fund, at least 30 percent of which is to be used to implement the climate goals." (zdf.de see below)
According to the environmental organisation Greenpeace, however, 65 percent less greenhouse gases would be needed in the EU to achieve the 1.5 degree target of the Paris climate agreement of 2015. Sven Giegold (Greens in the EU Parliament) criticized in particular that the EU states do not set national climate targets.
Further links
www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/klima-eu-2030-1.5144482
www.zdf.de/nachrichten/politik/eu-gipfel-klimaziel-100.html
The Greens in the Bundestag commented on the decision in a press release on 11.12.2020 as follows:
New EU climate target can only be a first step
Commenting on the EU Council's agreement on new climate targets Lisa Badum, Spokesperson for Climate Protection:
The agreement on the EU's 2030 climate target of -55 percent is very important and yet it is not enough. This is not a fair contribution by Europe to international climate protection and does not do justice to its responsibility and the Paris climate agreement. It is good that the EU is delivering its climate target in time for the fifth anniversary of the Paris Agreement, but the calculation tricks on natural sinks are a very dangerous mistake and significantly diminish the target. It remains to be seen what the European Parliament can get out of the negotiations on the EU climate bill. In the best case, a higher climate target is possible after the fact, but it is necessary in any case.
The Green Deal promised us the climate revolution in Europe, this must now be tackled. The reconstruction of all states, and especially Germany, can only work if the money flows into emission-free production and economic methods. European emissions trading must become the leading instrument and, flanked by strong fleet limits, incentive programmes and CO2 limit compensation, must make the EU internal market completely emissions-free. The agreement on the common agricultural policy must be urgently renegotiated under this new climate objective; anything else would be contradictory.
As the German Council Presidency, the German government has somewhat loosened its climate blockade in the last few metres. It is remarkable how the Chancellor is negotiating a climate target in Brussels from which her energy and climate policy at home is light years away. The whole climate package, the CO2 price, coal phase-out, EEG amendment and energy efficiency must now be improved immediately. This target implies a much earlier German coal phase-out. The German government must make improvements here. Now more than ever, we need the massive expansion of renewable energies. The EEG amendment is still on the table in the Federal Cabinet and can be made fit for the new climate target. The German government must show that it takes the climate targets it has set itself seriously.
***
Here is also the press release of Germanwatch from 11.12.2020:
Climate agreement at summit: A big step for the EU, but still not enough for global climate target
New EU climate target for 2030 contributes to limiting global warming to two degrees - but still not enough for the necessary climate protection worldwide / Germanwatch calls for implementation with climate audit for public investments as well as more commitment of the EU to international partnerships
Brussels/Berlin (Dec. 11, 2020). The development and environmental organisation Germanwatch welcomes in principle the agreement of the heads of state and government on the new EU climate target of at least 55 percent emissions reduction by 2030. However, it criticises that the inclusion of CO2 sinks such as forests means that the real emissions reduction is likely to be several percentage points lower and misses sufficient commitment to achieve more worldwide: "Despite some weaknesses, the agreement on the climate target is a major step towards climate neutrality in the EU. For Germany, for example, this target means that the coal phase-out must now be completed by 2030. Just two years ago, such an agreement between all EU states would have been almost inconceivable. We owe this success to all the people who have campaigned for more climate protection in recent years," says Christoph Bals, Political Director of Germanwatch.
Germanwatch calls on the German government to now lobby the EU for a strong set of rules that will quickly meet the new 2030 climate target. "Particularly important is the question of how the EU and the member states will spend their money in the future. The summit decision calls for the EU budget and Corona aid packages to be used in a way that supports the achievement of the climate targets," explains Bals. "To do this, the EU institutions must now establish clear verification mechanisms so that where it says climate action on it, it is climate action on it. The verification framework for sustainable investments - the so-called EU taxonomy - protects us from technological aberrations and must become the benchmark for the entire EU budget and the stimulus packages."
The heads of state and government have left loopholes in their decision that must be closed in the upcoming final deliberations on the European climate law by the EU Parliament, the Commission and the environment ministers. "The climate target will be watered down if the necessary emission reductions can in future simply be offset against the natural removal of CO2 from the air by forests, moors and agriculture. To strengthen these natural sinks, there needs to be a separate target with a sub-target for agriculture and a mechanism for achieving the target. But this target should be set in addition to a pure emissions reduction target," Bals said. "It is true that the EU can show itself with this climate target tomorrow at the UN summit to mark the anniversary of the Paris Agreement. But measured against the goal of the Paris Agreement to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees if possible, it is still too little. We miss more commitment to climate partnerships with important emerging economies to enable ambitious climate protection, for example in India, South Africa and Indonesia, via technological and financial cooperation."
Further information:
- Germanwatch on EU climate targets: www.germanwatch.org/de/18934
- Germanwatch on the European Green Deal: www.germanwatch.org/de/european-green-deal
Keywords:
DE-News, Renewable, Climate protection, News Blog Europe (without DE), Environmental policy
