European cultural heritage seal awarded to Werkbund housing estates

"Germany must become independent of all fossil fuels, not just those from Russia," says Prof. Wolfgang Lucht. "The remaining CO₂-The energy budget is melting rapidly. This is above all a consequence of the recently delayed energy transition in Germany. The German government should now adopt measures for the industrial and private sectors with even more vigour that will put us on a path that is demonstrably in line with the Paris climate targets." The SRU therefore recommends that the Federal Government introduce a German CO₂-The budget should be clearly named and justified in order to create transparency.

For a fair and appropriate German contribution to the international climate goals, a maximum CO₂-budget of 6.1 Gt CO₂to limit global warming to 1.75 degrees (with 67 % probability). For the 1.5 degree target (50 % probability), Germany would have to reduce its emissions to a maximum of 3.1 Gt CO₂ limit. By "maximum", the SRU means a budget that can just be considered compatible with the Paris Agreement. If emissions were to be reduced linearly to zero from now on, Germany would have to reduce CO₂-neutral.

"Germany must now take off on climate protection," says Prof. Claudia Kemfert. "If we miss the targets and overrun the budget, we will not be able to make up for it later.

In its landmark decision of March 2021, the Federal Constitutional Court used the budget calculated by the SRU to examine whether the Climate Protection Act meets the constitutional requirements.

Download the publication "How much CO₂ is the maximum amount that Germany is still allowed to emit? Questions and answers on CO₂-Budget“.

In May 2020, the Council had already Calculations and recommendations to a CO₂-Budget published.

For further information, please contact Dr. Julia Hertin, Tel: +49 30 263696-118,
Email: julia.hertin@umweltrat.de

The German Advisory Council on the Environment (SRU) has been advising the German government on environmental policy issues for 50 years. The Council's composition of seven professors from different disciplines ensures a scientifically independent and comprehensive assessment, both from a scientific-technical and a social science perspective. 

The Council currently consists of the following members:

Prof. Dr Claudia Hornberg (Chair), Bielefeld University

Prof. Dr Claudia Kemfert (Deputy Chair), Leuphana University Lüneburg and German Institute for Economic Research Berlin

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christina Dornack, Dresden University of Technology

Prof. Dr Wolfgang Köck, University of Leipzig and Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ

Prof. Dr Wolfgang Lucht, Humboldt University Berlin and Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research

Prof. Dr Josef Settele, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg and Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ

Prof. Dr Annette Elisabeth Töller, Open University in Hagen

German Advisory Council on the Environment, Berlin
www.umweltrat.de

Keywords:
DE-News, Renewable, Climate protection, New books and studies, Environmental policy