In the Spotlight

Germany’s exit from coal: managing a sustainable transition

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At the Paris Climate Conference, the German government pledged to reduce Germany’s carbon emissions. The Climate Action Plan 2050, adopted in 2016, describes the pathways for progress towards these targets.

Keeping global warming below 2°C – and ideally limiting temperature rise to 1.5°C – will require substantial efforts from the international community. With its strong economy, Germany can and must make its contribution here.

Since the medium-term target for 2020 – to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40% – was abandoned during the coalition negotiations in early 2018, Germany has no option but to take more active measures to achieve the 2030 climate goal.