Germany faces ‘gigantic’ task meeting energy, climate goals

BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s new climate minister says the country faces a “gigantic” task if it wants to achieve its goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions while ensuring sufficient energy for its energy-hungry industry. Climate Minister Robert Habeck told reporters in Berlin on Tuesday that Germany is currently on track to halve its emissions by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. That’s far off the government’s target of 65%. Pandemic-related effects that allowed Germany to achieve its interim goal of a 40% reduction by 2020 fell away last year. That resulted in a renewed rise in emissions for 2021. Habeck said renewable sources such as solar and wind power currently provide about 43% of Germany’s electricity, but that share needs to almost double to 80% by 2030.