Climate protection through renewable energy

Most of our energy supply is based on fossil energy sources such as oil, coal and gas. These release large quantities of carbon dioxide (CO2) when they are burned. This makes a substantial contribution to climate change, which led to an average warming global warming by 0.8 degrees Celsius during the past century. The consequences of this are, among other things, the rise in sea level, the increase in storms and drought and melting of the glaciers. The emission of greenhouse gases must be substantially reduced so that climate change does not continue unabated. This is only possible through more energy efficiency and the replacement of fossil energy sources with renewable energy.

In Germany, renewable energy's share of the energy supply is growing and therefore their contribution to climate protection too. In 2011, renewable energy in Germany prevented the emission of around 129 million tonnes CO2. Without the energy from the sun, wind, water, geothermal energy and bioenergy, Germany's total CO2 emissions would be more than 10 percent higher.

The renewable energy industry wants to avoid around 200 million tonnes CO2 a year in 2020. Renewable energy is therefore the key technology for achieving a 40 percent reduction in CO2 emissions in Germany by 2020. However, to replace fossil energy sources to the extent necessary for climate protection, substantial efforts are still needed.