German Cities Fall Short of Paris Climate Goals, Study Finds
A recent analysis by the German Environmental Aid (Deutsche Umwelthilfe, DUH) has revealed that 42 out of 82 major German cities have not made sufficient progress in solar power development over the past two years to meet the Paris Climate Agreement’s 2035 targets. In fact, some cities are on track to miss the goals by a significant margin.
Potsdam and Salzgitter are at the bottom of the list, with their solar power development needing to be quadrupled to meet the 2035 target. On the other hand, cities like Regensburg, Oldenburg, Fürth and Ulm have exceeded the target by more than 50 percent, with their solar power development outpacing the required pace.
While the study highlights the shortcomings of some cities, it also shows that 40 cities have made sufficient progress, with some even exceeding the target. The DUH’s Bundesgeschäftsführerin, Barbara Metz, emphasized the significance of the cities’ efforts, stating, “The cities are now making a substantial contribution to the nationwide solar boom, which must now be further intensified.”
Metz also called on the German government, led by Economy Minister Katherina Reiche, to support the Energiewende (energy transition) by involving citizens in the process and not hindering the progress. Rupert Wronski, the DUH’s stellvertretender Leiter des Kommunalen Umweltschutzes, urged all German cities to maintain the momentum of the past two years, with Minister Reiche being responsible for creating the necessary incentives to drive the process forward.