1.5°C: What Germany needs to do

This briefing by the NewClimate Institute analyzes potential greenhouse gas (GHG) emission pathways for Germany to align with the Paris Agreement's 1.5°C target. It evaluates three approaches—following IPCC global trends, avoiding negative emissions, and equity-based effort sharing—and concludes that current German government targets are insufficient to meet the 1.5°C limit.

• Current German government climate targets are incompatible with the 1.5°C limit, even when assuming the removal of large amounts of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. Following the current federal government target path would result in emissions 20% to 130% higher by mid-century than what is permitted for 1.5°C. Specifically, the 'Klimaschutzplan 2050' goal of achieving 'extensive greenhouse gas neutrality by the middle of the century' is insufficient, as rapid emission declines are required between 2020 and 2040.
• To be undeniably compatible with the 1.5°C limit and fulfill its global responsibility, Germany would need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2030. In scenarios that are only conditionally compatible with 1.5°C, emissions must decrease by at least 70% by 2030 and at least 85% by 2040 compared to 1990 levels. The document notes that Germany's entitled greenhouse gas budget is already exhausted when considering its historical emissions.
• Germany's failure to meet its original -40% climate target for 2020 has jeopardized the 1.5°C limit. The additional emissions resulting from this failure represent 10% of Germany's 1.5°C budget for the period between 2010 and 2050, necessitating a steeper emission reduction path in the future to compensate.

APA

NewClimate Institute (2019). 1.5°C: What Germany needs to do. http://www.newclimate.org/resources/publications/15degc-what-germany-needs-to-do

Chicago

NewClimate Institute. 1.5°C: What Germany needs to do. 2019. http://www.newclimate.org/resources/publications/15degc-what-germany-needs-to-do.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=NewClimate Institute |title=1.5°C: What Germany needs to do |date=14 March 2019 |url=http://www.newclimate.org/resources/publications/15degc-what-germany-needs-to-do |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{newclimateinstitute201915c, author = {{NewClimate Institute}}, title = {{1.5°C: What Germany needs to do}}, institution = {NewClimate Institute}, year = {2019}, month = mar, url = {http://www.newclimate.org/resources/publications/15degc-what-germany-needs-to-do}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }