Germanys national climate policy focuses on climate protection at national, regional and local levels in the context of international climate policy. The climate protection targets form part of the national climate policy. They are either legally binding agreements or are respected as being politically binding.

Important Documents

1997 Kyoto-Protocol (pdf)
2007 Deutsche Klimaschutzziele - Regierungserklärung (pdf - (in German only)
2008 EU climate and energy package - citizen's summary (pdf)

Under the Kyoto Protocol the EU committed itself to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 8% below 1990 levels between 2008 and 2012. The EU burden sharing agreement was resolved in the Environment council. Accordingly the commitment is further redistributed among the EU Member States. Individual emission targets for each Member State have been set incorporating national circumstances and level of economic development. On this basis Germanys Kyoto target is the reduction of its emissions by 21% below 1990 levels between 2008 and 2012.

Self-prescribed climate protection goals of the German Government originate from 2005. In the framework of the national climate protection programme a goal of -30% by 2008 compared to 1990 was set. This target was already exceeded with a reduction of 42% in 2007. 

The "20-20-20 targets" of the EU became law (known as the ‘climate and energy package’) in June 2009.   Herein, the EU undertakes to reduce the EU-27 greenhouse gas emissions by at least 20% by 2020 compared to 1990. 

In addition, Germany has pledged to reduce its GHG emissions by even 40% by 2020 compared with 1990.

In 2009 G8 countries agreed on a global reduction goal of at least 50% by 2050 and emissions from developed countries should be reduced by 80% or more compared to 1990 levels.  Germany has acknowledged these political goals across all party lines.

The Energy Concept, granted by the Bundestag in October 2010, refines the climate policy goals for Germany.

Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions:

- 40% by 2020
- 55% by 2030
- 70% by 2040
- 80-96% by 2050