Dresden (dpa/sn) – Greenhouse gas emissions in Saxony fell by around 55 percent between 1990 and 2019. According to the first report presented by Environment Minister Wolfram Günther (Greens) in Dresden on Tuesday, emissions fell from 117.7 million tons to 52.6 million tons, more than half.
The greatest effect occurred in the early 1990s, the background at that time being the modernization of plants due to the upheaval in the economy and energy supply, explained the minister. Emissions have stagnated since 2001 – despite economic growth and increased traffic. This is solely the result of greater energy efficiency.
At 58 percent, the largest greenhouse gas emitters are large combustion plants, with 90 percent being lignite-fired power plants, followed by traffic at 17 percent.
With 13 tons of CO2 emissions per capita, the Free State was above the national average (9 tons), said Günther. The figures showed that emissions of greenhouse gases in Saxony must be reduced significantly and quickly. Not enough has happened in the past 20 years.
Günther sees potential in the transport and construction sectors in particular, while there is a noticeable change in the municipalities. Participation in plants for renewable energies should create an incentive. In business, the conviction that climate neutrality is a location factor is also maturing.
Günther assumes that the lignite will not be used until 2038. The coal compromise is “not a guarantee of existence, but an upper limit”. He hopes that the transition to renewable energies can be accelerated in view of the structural change in the lignite regions.
According to the report, the use of renewable energy has increased slightly since 2001, while the share of mineral oil has decreased. The low expansion of renewable energy sources is particularly evident in wind power, said Günther. But the brakes were released there.