With Germany’s emissions falling and projections showing the country finally on track to meet its climate targets, its government is starting to plan for removing gas infrastructure from its grid.
The 673 million tonnes of greenhouse gases the country produced last year represented a 10% drop from 2022, the sharpest decline since the 1990s, reports Spiegel Science. Projections show that national emissions are set to continue falling to the end of the decade, to 65% below 1990 levels by 2030; by 2045, Germany is set to become carbon neutral. These statistics indicate the country is on track to achieve its climate goals.
Among other initiatives, expansions in renewable energy sources and new schemes for industry decarbonization helped get Germany to this point, says Clean Energy Wire (CLEW). Last year, the country managed to cut coal-fired power production to its lowest level in 60 years while also phasing out nuclear power.
But the government’s climate progress is being held back as it navigates political disputes and resistance from rising populist movements, CLEW adds. And important sectors like transport and buildings still show high emissions.
But a new discussion paper shows Germany starting to plan “for a gradual decommissioning of the country’s gas distribution network in order to organize a smooth transition to climate-neutral heating for consumers and operators,” CLEW writes.
The economy ministry writes in the paper that, as the country increasingly approaches the clean energy future required by its net-zero goals, the existing natural gas supply will not be needed in the same way that it is now. Planning for the replacement of that network with new energy sources is important now because, as those gas supplies decline, customers must still have access to a reliable supply of affordable energy.
Meanwhile, as that transition takes shape, current grid operators will suffer financial losses if they’re forced to continue operating gas infrastructure.
“Gas distribution networks must continue to be operated safely as part of this transformation,” the paper says, even if “they will in all likelihood be needed to a much lesser extent than at present.” (Note: translated from the original in German.)
