3. Effective climate protection

Climate change, i.e. increases in global average air and ocean temperatures, and rising global average sea levels, is one of the biggest challenges of our time.

The emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) has been the main driver of anthropogenic climate change. Global increases in CO2 concentrations are primarily due to the combustion of fossil fuels.

In order to mitigate climate change, the European Union has committed itself to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent by 2020. Germany, in turn, has committed itself to cutting its GHG emissions by 40 percent by 2020 (compared to 1990 levels), and by 80 to 95 percent by 2050.

 In 2012, the use of renewable energies in Germany avoided the emission of almost 145 million tonnes of GHGs. Renewable energies are first choice when it comes to tools for effective climate protection.