Less greenhouse gases with less nuclear energy | Umweltbundesamt

Greenhouse gas emissions levels dropped in Germany in 2011 once again, as current calculations by the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) prove. Emissions of carbon dioxide and methane in particular continued to decline. The greater use of renewable energies has had a positive effect on the emissions development trend. In contrast, the level of fluorinated gases, or so-called F-gases, remained largely constant, with an increase in nitrous oxide, in part due to the greater use of fertilizers. Some 917 million tonnes of greenhouse gases were emitted to the atmosphere in 2011. “The decline in emissions shows that Germany is serious about its commitments. The goals of the Kyoto Protocol can be reached even if nuclear energy phase-out is accelerated, a fact which has often been cast into doubt“, explains UBA President Jochen Flasbarth. Additional measures are necessary, however, to reach the climate goals. For one, the number of CO2 allowances should be reduced by toughening Europe’s climate protection target and moving forward on remediating the energy supply in building stock. To clarify the figures: the current data reflect absolute emission volumes. The Federal Environment Agency mandate does not allow for making statistical adjustments to account for factors such as the influence of temperature or the state of the economy. read more