Germany barely meets climate targets, cuts 0.1% greenhouse emissions

Germany only narrowly achieved its climate targets in 2025, cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 0.1% in what marked a slowdown compared to the decline of recent years, according to official figures released on Saturday.

Around 649 million tons of CO2 equivalents were emitted across Germany last year, some 12.8 million tons below the limit set by the country’s Climate Action Act, according to the German Environment Agency (UBA).

Emissions fell by 0.1% compared with 2024, a drop described by Environment Minister Carsten Schneider as insufficient.

Progress made on reducing greenhouse gas emissions is too slow, he said in Berlin.

Germany, Europe’s largest economy and one of the continent’s top polluters, aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 65% by 2030 compared with 1990 levels.

While the agency said that goal remains in reach, with Germany having reduced emissions by 48% compared to 1990, further climate action is needed to achieve it.

The conservative-led government of Chancellor Friedrich Merz, which has faced accusations of scaling back some climate measures as it seeks to revive the struggling economy, plans to present a climate action plan later this month.

Germany’s economic woes led to a decline in emissions across the industrial sector in 2025, the official figures show.

This was mainly due to lower production volumes in energy-intensive sectors and the declining use of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas, the agency said.

Meanwhile, greenhouse gas emissions in the energy and agricultural sectors remained largely unchanged on the previous year.

Emissions attributed to traffic and buildings rose last year, once again significantly missing targets set for the sectors, the UBA said, urging greater action in those areas.

Despite a steadily growing fleet of electric cars, sales of fossil fuels in 2025 were higher than in the previous year, according to the findings.

The rise in emissions in the buildings sector was primarily fuelled by a comparatively cold winter which led to more heating use.

Meanwhile, the transition to climate-friendly energy sources needs to pick up speed, the agency said.