Facts and figures about Germany and climate change.
 | Facts from the Allianz/WWF Climate ScorecardGreenhouse gas emissions in Germany by sector and energy sources (Graphic: Allianz/WWF) |
GERMANY’S CARBON FOOTPRINT AT A GLANCE
Country: Federal Republic of Germany
Population: 82.4 million people
Estimated annual CO2 emissions: 885 million tons (2004, 6th largest worldwide)
10 FACTS ABOUT GERMANY AND CLIMATE CHANGE
01. Germany produced roughly 3.3 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions in 2004 making it the biggest national emitter in Europe, which as a continent, contributes 15 percent to the global total, and the fourth biggest worldwide.
02. Germany’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2005 were around 19-percent lower than levels recorded in 1990.
03. Between 1990 and 1995, CO2 emissions in Germany declined by approximately 13 percent due to the collapse of heavy industries in former East Germany. In turn, CO2 emissions from German industries rose by 5.4 percent from 2005 to 2006.
04. In a 2006 study conducted by University of Marburg researchers, 93 percent of surveyed Germans considered climate change an important issue, second only to unemployment on the list of top concerns.
05. The Berlin-based German Institute for Economic Research (DIW) said that the effects of climate change could cost German businesses hundreds of billions of euros over the next few decades, particularly in the frontline sectors, such as agriculture, tourism and insurance.
06. Winter tourism in Germany is threatened by climate change more than in any other mountainous country in Europe. A 4.5-degree increase would render German ski resorts virtually snow-free.
07. Coal power plants – considered the most climate-unfriendly of all forms of energy production – supplied around half of all electricity produced in Germany in 2004. Nuclear energy was the country's second-biggest supplier at 27 percent.
08. There are about 77 billion tons of lignite or brown coal left in German soil. At the current rate of mining, this would allow for around 225 more years of coal production in Germany.
09. Germany is a world leader in renewable energy technology. According to the weekly Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung, around one third of all the water-power installations in the world are produced by German firm Voith from Heidesheim, while every other wind turbine and every third solar cell are German-made.
10. Wind turbines supply around 30 percent of the energy needs in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein. The local wind industry has generated over 300 million euros of state revenue through its contributions to the national power grid, and created 5,000 local jobs over the last few years.
editor: Valdis Wish
publishing date: June 4, 2007
