A report by the German government’s expert advisory board on climate issues has found that the country’s progress on climate protection has been insufficient so far. The two-year report, presented in Berlin on Wednesday, highlights the need for a more comprehensive approach to climate policy.
While the board acknowledges progress in the development of a new, non-fossil capital stock, particularly in the energy sector, it criticizes the slow pace of transformation in the building and transportation sectors, which are significant emitters of greenhouse gases. This is particularly concerning in light of the country’s national targets under the EU’s burden-sharing agreement.
The report also expresses concern about the development of the land use sector, which is expected to be a net sink, but is instead showing a net increase in emissions. The board warns that the country’s goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 is still at risk.
The board’s chair, Hans-Martin Henning, emphasized the need for a broader approach to climate policy, taking into account the complex interplay with other policy fields. The report recommends the establishment of a central coordination mechanism, such as the re-establishment of the climate cabinet, to better integrate different policy areas.
The board also suggests the introduction of a systematic monitoring and evaluation system to analyze the interplay with other policy fields and identify potential conflicts and synergies. “For the future design of climate protection programs, possible conflicts and synergies with the economy, finance and social policy must be taken into account and brought into the societal-political discourse” Henning said.
The report emphasizes the need to consider the financial feasibility of climate protection measures, highlighting the high investment costs required for the transformation to a carbon-neutral economy.
According to the board’s member, Thomas Heimer, the projected investments would represent a significant share of the expected German economic output. “Therefore, the German government should explicitly take these transformation investments into account in its multi-year financial and economic planning” Heimer said.
The expert advisory board on climate issues is an independent body of five experts from various disciplines, appointed in September 2020.