Germany could miss 2026 climate goal, think tank says

Germany could miss an annual climate target in 2026 for the first time unless greenhouse gas emissions cuts speed up, Agora Energiewende warned Friday.

The think tank said Germany's carbon dioxide emissions fell about 2% in the first half of the year, largely because of weaker oil demand amid the Middle East war energy shock.

If reductions continue at the same pace, emissions in 2026 would fall to 635 million tonnes, 13 million tonnes below 2025 levels but 10 million tonnes above the cap in Germany's climate protection act, Agora said.

Agora said Germany needs annual savings of about 40 million tonnes of CO2 to meet its legally binding 2030 target of cutting emissions by 65%. Germany also has a legally binding goal of achieving greenhouse gas neutrality by 2045.

The warning follows a May assessment by the government-appointed council of experts on climate change, which also said Germany was not on track to hit its 2030 climate goal.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz said this week that "long-term lessons" would be drawn from a difficult summer of droughts and heatwaves.