Germany's greenhouse gas emissions rose by just under 5% last year compared with 2020, the federal environment agency UBA said in its annual report seen by Reuters on Monday, as Europe's largest economy recovered from the coronavirus pandemic.
Although emissions increased last year they were 39% lower compared with 1990 levels, the agency said in the report.
The report will add urgency to plans by the three-way government of Chancellor Olaf Scholz to almost double the share of renewables in its energy mix to some 80% by 2030 and wean the economy off gas and oil imports from Russia after it invaded Ukraine.
Germany overshot its targets in 2020 to cut emissions by 40% compared with 1990 levels, reducing them by almost 41% as emissions fell because of a sharp reduction in economic activity during the pandemic.
The UBA, which plans to present its report on Tuesday, found that Germany emitted 762 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) last year, 33 million tonnes more than in 2020.
The report found that transport and buildings exceeded their emissions targets whereas industry and agriculture met theirs.
Germany wants to cut emissions by 65% by the end of this decade compared with 1990 levels.
The Economy Ministry wants to unveil plans by Easter setting out concrete steps to meet this target.
The strategy is expected to include speeding up the electrification of the transport sector, improving energy efficiency of buildings, build a hydrogen production capacity and rapidly expand wind farms.
Economy Minister Robert Habeck has not ruled out Germany missing its climate goals until 2023, when steps to transition the economy toward a CO2-free future start to show results. (Reuters)