In Germany, the Climate Act, also known as the Climate Protection Act, has been in place since 2019. It is a key instrument for implementing climate targets and meeting international commitments, in particular the Paris Climate Agreement, the goals of which are to be achieved through the European Green Deal. The Climate Protection Act contains a whole range of measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and drive forward the energy transition. Germany has set itself the goal of being climate-neutral five years before the EU, i.e. by 2045. Since 2023, there has been a new version of the law that reaffirms the ambitious targets and focuses more strongly on the future development of greenhouse gas emissions. With the new version, the German government has, among other things, increased the flexibility of the individual sectors affected: the focus is to be on how greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced overall, regardless of the individual sub-sectors. CO2 emissions will therefore be reduced in particular where the greatest savings potential is available in order to achieve the targets in an economically efficient manner. The role of the Expert Council for Climate Issues was also further strengthened in 2023. The Council can now also submit its own proposals for packages of measures.
At both national and international level, the building sector is being held accountable alongside the transport, energy, industry and agriculture sectors. The decarbonization of buildings has great potential to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions overall and achieve the goals of the European Green Deal.
