Germany told to boost energy-saving measures

Germany should spend €5 billion a year on tax breaks and subsidy programmes to meet its climate protection targets, a think tank has said.

The money should be spent on programmes covering electricity, heating and traffic, the energy think tank Agora said in its 10-point programme. The report, published on 12 June, suggested ways for Germany to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 55 per cent by 2030 compared with 1990. The country is not on course to meet this target, Agora said.

The “generally accepted great importance of energy efficiency” has not led to enough political action, the report said, adding that energy-saving targets should be legally prescribed. It also called for a more reliable legal framework in Germany and Europe, tax reforms to help end reliance on fuel oil and diesel, and comprehensive digitisation to make the electricity network more flexible.