In 2023 Germany's energy had already reached a historic low after declining by 8.1 percent to 10,735 petajoules, continuing the trend from the previous year.
The "overall subdued macroeconomic development" has been identified by the German think tank as the main reason for the further decline. Mild weather, high energy prices, and increased costs for CO2 emissions in the national emissions trading for fossil fuels also contributed to the decline.
Consumption of coal fell particularly strongly as Europe's largest economy is phasing out coal energy by no later than 2038. AGEB reports that, in the first three months, the consumption of hard coal and lignite decreased by more than 20 percent and a fifth respectively.
Meanwhile, renewable energy generation increased by 2.9 percent. "This development is due in particular to an increase in electricity production from hydropower, photovoltaics, and, above all, wind energy," AGEB indicated.
The think tank predicts recognizable changes in the structure of energy consumption, further indicating that the decline in the use of coal, in particular, is likely to have led to a reduction in CO2 emissions of around 6.6 percent or 12 million tons.
By 2030, Germany aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 65 percent compared to 1990 levels, seeking to achieve climate neutrality by 2045, five years ahead of the European Union target.
After announcing that the country was on track to meet its goals, economics minister Robert Habeck was challenged on Monday by the Council of Experts on Climate Change forecast that Germany will miss its greenhouse gas reduction target by 2030.
"Overall, we cannot confirm the cumulative target achievement for the years 2021 to 2030 shown by the 2024 projection data; on the contrary, we assume that the target will not be met," said the chairman of the Council Hans-Martin Henning.
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