German carbon emissions hit seven-decade low amid economic slowdown 

Germany's carbon emissions have fallen to a 70-year low as Europe's largest economy cut back on coal production. According to the report This was announced by the think tank Agora Energiewende.

The report predicted emissions in 2023 at 673 million tonnes, down 73 million tonnes from 2022 and about 46 percent below 1990 levels. The think tank said this was Germany's lowest output since the 1950s.

Germany, which has a goal of net-zero emissions by 2045, retired its last three nuclear power plants in 2023 after years of widespread phasing out of nuclear energy. Meanwhile, domestic coal-fired power generation fell to the lowest level in 60 years last year, mainly due to increased imports and decreased demand, according to the report. A combination of economic slowdown and international crises, such as the ongoing war in Ukraine, also contributed, with energy-intensive production falling by 11%, outpacing the overall economic contraction of 0.3%.

Reduced power generation from lignite produced 29 million tonnes of carbon dioxide last year, compared to 15 million tonnes from hard coal.

However, the report also determined that the majority of the reductions were not the result of long-term renewable energy build-ups that would result in permanent reductions. About 15 percent would represent such permanent reductions, while about 50 percent would be due to short-term effects such as lower electricity rates.

Meanwhile, the report revealed that Germany is likely to miss the European Union's climate change targets as emissions from the building and transport sectors remained roughly flat last year. If the country fails to meet these targets, it will have to pay fines or buy emission certificates from other EU member states.

“As far as Germany's climate protection is concerned, 2023 was the year of two speeds. The energy sector achieved climate policy successes with record levels of new renewable electricity, bringing us even closer to our 2030 goals.” However, we do not believe that the emissions reductions seen in the industrial sector are sustainable. “The reduction in production due to the energy crisis is weakening Germany's industrial base,” said Simon Müller, director of Agora Energiewende Germany, in a statement. Müller added that moving these emissions abroad would have no net benefit for the climate.