1. Introduction

The threat to the global climate from the anthropogenic greenhouse effect will remain at the heart of national and international environment policy in the future. This is not only in order to protect the global climate, but also from the point of view of responsible resource management and environmental protection.

Scientific Findings

In 1990, the 12th Bundestag's Study Commission on "Protecting the Earth's Atmosphere" stressed in its concluding report that "the knowledge of the climate changes caused by human activities has reached such a high level of certainty that political precautionary measures can no longer be put off due to a lack of awareness. Where governments postpone sustainable reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from climate-relevant substances, this cannot be justified by claiming a lack of knowledge."

Furthermore, the need for action is clearly underlined by the assessment reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which comment on the increase in the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere due to human activities: since the end of the last century, the average global air temperature has increased by 0.3 - 0.6 ^oC and the sea level has risen by 10 - 25 cm over the last 100 years. The IPCC predicts a 2^oC increase in the average global temperature and a rise in the sea level of around 50 cm (Second Assessment Report, 1995), although these average levels can effect different regions in very different ways. The prognoses for the effects on the ecosystem and the social and economic systems, including food and water reserves and human health, show that emphatic action is indispensable. Precautionary action is also imperative from an economic point of view, as abrupt action later on when the consequences of the greenhouse effect have become apparent, always brings with it the danger of losses of friction and capital destruction difficult for both society and the economy to accept.

A Global Strategy is needed

In view of the global dimensions of the greenhouse effect, the problem of climate change must ultimately be overcome with an internationally harmonised strategy. Experience shows that an international strategy such as this will be particularly effective when individual countries provide a driving force. For this reason, the global aspect must not be used by the industrialised countries as an excuse for inactivity. On the contrary, the global challenge should spur on the leading economic nations of the world to develop a sustainable, resource-efficient society of the future. The developing and newly industrialised countries will only follow suit when the western industrialised countries set a good example.

The world-wide levels of energy-related CO2 emissions amount to around 24 billion tonnes per year. More than three-quarters of energy-related greenhouse gases are produced by the industrialised countries. Contrary to existing international commitments, emissions in most Western industrialised countries are, in some cases, increasing considerably. Examples of this include the USA, the Netherlands, Denmark, Canada, Spain, Portugal, Greece and Ireland. Thus far, the only countries in the Western world able to announce reductions in their CO2 emissions are Germany, the United Kingdom and Luxembourg. 25% of the world's population are responsible for 80% of resource consumption . If current production and consumer habits - particularly the exorbitantly high energy consumption - were transferred unaltered to the developing countries, it would undoubtedly lead to ecological collapse - to the total breakdown of planet Earth.

Germany's share of world-wide greenhouse gas emissions is currently around 4%. This share has decreased over the years for various reasons. On the one hand, restructuring in the new Länder contributed towards reducing CO2 emissions. At the same time, an effective climate protection policy was being put into effect in Germany. In contrast to this, greenhouse gas emissions continued to increase in other industrialised countries. Germany, together with the other highly-developed industrialised countries, has a particular responsibility to find and consistently follow new methods. As a country with a high level of environmental protection on an international scale, and a rich pool of scientific knowledge and great innovative ability, Germany can and must continue to make a considerable contribution to climate protection, in particular by developing a sustainable energy supply.

2. Capacity Building

The German Federal Government was early in developing a comprehensive national climate protection strategy. The process of implementing and refining the national Climate protection strategy has continued since 1990.

Structures for making decisions

By decision of 13 June 1990, the Federal Government established the Interministerial Working Group "CO2 Reduction", which is charged with identifying the potential for reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (especially CO2). Within this Interministerial Working Group "CO2 Reduction" under the chairmanship of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, working parties were established for the following topic areas: energy supply (chaired by the Federal Ministry of Economics), transport (chaired by the Federal Ministry for Transport and Building), buildings (chaired by the Federal Ministry for Transport and Building), new technologies (chaired by: Federal Ministry of Econimics) and agriculture and forestry (chaired by: Federal Ministry for Food, Agriculture and Forestry).

The five working parties within the Interministerial Working Group "CO2 Reduction" have each prepared their own reports. These reports have been coordinated within the Interministerial Working Group "CO2 Reduction" itself.

Fig. 1: Organisation of the Interministerial Working Group "CO2 Reduction"

CO2 Reduction IWG
Working Party I	Working Party II	Working Party III	Working Party IV	Working Party V
(Energy supply)	(Transport)	(Buildings)	(New technologies)	(Agriculture and forestry)

Since 1990, the national climate protection strategy has been progressively developed according to the following steps:

• reviewing technical, legal and economic framework conditions
• identifying technical potential for reduction
• identifying obstacles
• analysing measures to overcome obstacles
• defining measures to overcome existing obstacles and developing an effective and comprehensive programme
• progressively implementing agreed measures in coordination with the parties concerned (Länder, local authorities, industry, major groups)
• reviewing the effectiveness of the measures

The climate protection programme focuses on all relevant areas: private households, small-scale consumers, industry, transport, the energy industry. It includes the waste management sector and is geared towards both the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions and the reduction of other greenhouse gases. The main focus is on saving energy and increasing energy efficiency as well as generating energy from renewable resources.

Implement of various stakeholders

The achievement in the meantime of a more than 13% reduction in CO2 emissions can be attributed to contributions from all areas of German society. From the beginning, the German Government stressed that not only Government itself, but all social actors must be involved in implementing climate protection measures. This reflects the fact that climate protection is a cross-sectoral task.

Everyone is called on to participate.

In the meantime, all the Federal Länder and over 500 municipalities have accepted their responsibilities in this respect and developed their own climate protection programmes. Some of the Länder, cities and municipalities have also set their own reduction targets. Bremen, for example, is aiming for a 30% reduction in CO2 emissions compared to1987 levels by the year 2005. Berlin intends to reduce CO2 emissions by 25% per inhabitant (Tables 2 and 3).
The German Government's objective is further supported by the 31 March 1995 Bundesrat decision confirming that climate protection measures are necessary in order to achieve the reduction target and calling on the German Government to continue pursuing a consistent course of action.

On the community level there is considerable scope for reducing greenhouse gases, opportunities arising in part from the various functions a local authority fulfils: Executor of Federal and Land laws, standard-setting public corporation, proprietor, agents or operators of community property. Furthermore, local authorities have plenty of scope for direct action, such as energy conservation in their own premises, taking into consideration climate protection targets by obtaining or employing economical vehicles in their vehicle fleet. With appropriate planning and acknowledgement of their responsibilities as public services, the cities and municipalities can make an excellent contribution to climate protection. This includes, for example, the community power supply, the local public transport system and the development of energy conservation measures in the municipal waste treatment and waste water disposal. Information, consultation and public relations work can motivate the population to conserve energy by environmentally sound mobility and avoidance of waste.

Table 2: An overview of sectoral measures of the Länder

	Energy	Transport	Construction, housing, settlement structures	Research, training, education in schools (higher education institutes)	Agriculture, silviculture, nature conservation and landscape management	Waste management
Baden-Wurttemberg	yes	yes	initiated	yes	initiated	initiated
Bavaria	yes	initiated	initiated	initiated	initiated	initiated
Berlin	yes	initiated	yes	initiated	no	no
Brandenburg	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
Bremen	yes	initiated	initiated	initiated	no	no
Hamburg	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
Hesse	yes	no	yes	initiated	no	initiated
Mecklenburg-West Pomerania	no information at present	no information at present	no information at present	no information at present	no information at present	no information at present
Lower Saxony	yes	yes	initiated	initiated	initiated	initiated
North Rhine-Westphalia	initiated	initiated	initiated	initiated	initiated	initiated
Rhineland-Palatinate	initiated	yes	initiated	initiated	yes	no
Saarland	yes	yes	initiated	initiated	initiated	initiated
Saxony	yes	yes	initiated	no	yes	initiated
Saxony-Anhalt	initiated	initiated	initiated	initiated	initiated	no
Schleswig-Holstein	yes	initiated	yes	initiated	initiated	yes
Thuringia	initiated	initiated	initiated	initiated	initiated	initiated
Note: For each Land, the term "initiated" summarises individual measures in the relevant sector

Table 3: Important areas for municipal action in support of climate protection

Ecologically oriented urban development planning and regional planning
-	Implementation of urban-development planning, construction planning and building permits oriented to the needs of climate protection and energy efficiency
-	Implementation of urban structures that tend to reduce generation of CO2 (mixtures of functions, the "city of short distances" etc.)
-	More green and open areas in cities / opening-up (unsealing) of paved areas (carbon sequestration; CO2 sinks); use of additional potential green areas (roofs, facades)
Information, counselling and public awareness campaigns
-	Establishment of a local or regional energy counselling centre
-	Provision of climate-relevant information as part of environmental counselling
Local procurement
-	Environmentally compatible procurement
-	Waste avoidance in administrations
Energy saving in consumption sectors
-	Improvement of energy efficiency in municipal buildings by means of structural improvements in thermal insulation, efficiency-enhancing measures in heating, measurement and control systems, implementation of municipal energy management and of other measures to save heat and electricity
-	Support for efficient use of heat and power in other consumption sectors: households, small-scale consumers (retail, crafts, services), manufacturing/industry and other public institutions/authorities (by means of information, planning and other supporting measures)
Environmentally compatible energy infrastructure
-	Expansion of the line-bound energy supply (including energy for heating buildings: gas networks, small-scale / large-scale district heating networks)
-	Fuel conversions (for example, from coal to gas)
-	Conversion of the energy infrastructure to allow greater use of combined heat and power generation / block-type thermal power stations
-	Use of renewable and local energy sources (wind power, hydropower, solar energy, biomass, waste heat etc.)
Environmentally compatible development of the transport sector
-	Reduced use of private automobiles, coupled with greater use of local public transport and environmentally compatible, low-emission modes of transport
-	Improvement of the quality of the public transport infrastructure, especially of local public transport and other, less energy-intensive modes of transport (bicycle paths/lanes, pedestrian zones etc.)
-	Environmentally compatible development of goods transports (expansion of the portion of the city's supply that comes from the surrounding region etc.)
Municipal waste and wastewater treatment
-	Waste avoidance, waste separation, re-use and substance recycling n Waste treatment (as part of a systematic policy of avoidance, re-use and recycling): use of waste and landfill gas for generation of heat and energy; recovery of biomass waste within biogas systems; composting systems
-	Wastewater treatment: use of sewage gas, process-energy reductions

Source: German Institute for Urban Studies (Difu) 1996.

New local actors (societies, branches of trade, youth groups etc.) can be encouraged to participate in joint climate protection activities. Many local authority activities are linked to "local Agenda 21 projects" developed on the basis of AGENDA 21 adopted in Rio de Janeiro. The local authorities receive support from their umbrella organisations the Deutscher Städtetag (German Association of Cities) or the Deutscher Städte und Gemeindebund (German Cities and Municipalities Association).

Other vital actors are trade and industry. A central tool for co-ordinating the role of trade and industry in climate protection is the "Erklärung der deutschen Wirtschaƒt zur Klimavorsorge" (German trade and industry declaration on precautionary climate protection measures) from 1995 and 1996. In this declaration, German trade and industry pledged to reduce, by the year 2005, their specific CO2 emissions or their specific energy consumption by 20% compared to 1990 levels. To date, 19 business and industry associations have made this voluntary pledge. This covers over 71% of industrial energy consumers, more than 99% of the public power supply, and some households and small consumers. Annual monitoring checks that the voluntary commitment is met.

In addition to this, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have also contributed considerably to climate protection in the past, especially in providing targeted impetus for the further shaping of the national climate protection programme. Environmental associations, unions, churches and consumer associations have been exemplary in this respect.

Climate protection can only be implemented in a sustainable way if all actors take full advantage of their opportunities: local authority administrations, trade and industry, research and science and relevant social groups. It is equally important that each individual, in both a professional and private sphere, should see energy conservation and improving energy efficiency as his or her own personal responsibility, and act accordingly. Experience has shown here that in many cases climate protection is not necessarily expensive, and can often lead to a saving of energy costs.

3. The German Climate Change Programme

Germanys Responsibility

The main source of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions is the consumption of fossil fuels. The burning of fossil fuels , i.e. crude oil, coal and natural gas is responsible for more than 50% of the additional greenhouse effect (40% CO2, 3% methane, 7% other energy-related greenhouse gases). In Germany, CO2 emissions make up more than 85% of greenhouse gas emissions. The prognoses of the World Energy Conference (WEC) and the International Energy Agency (IEA) show that without effective measures, energy consumption will increase significantly over the coming decades. The emitter structure will be shifted considerably by this from the industrialised nations to the developing and newly industrialised countries. Climate protection therefore requires globally harmonised measures, particularly in the energy sector.

Table 4: Specific CO2 emissions from the energy sectors of major countries in l per capita

	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995
China	2.09	2.09	2.14	2.16	2.28	2.37	2.51
Denmark	10.09	10.36	12.21	11.09	11.38	12.31	11.58
Germany	12.69	12.38	11.88	11.30	11.05	10.89	10.83
France	6.69	6.66	6.95	6.51	6.37	5.99	6.23
India	0.69	0.71	0.74	0.77	0.79	0.82	0.86
Japan	8.27	8.62	8.74	8.83	8.72	9.11	9.17
Mexico	3.61	3.58	3.65	3.67	3.59	3.71	3.46
Netherlands	10.72	10.80	11.26	11.05	11.24	11.36	11.57
Pakistan	0.54	0.56	0.55	0.58	0.59	0.62	0.63
Philippines	0.64	0.65	0.63	0.72	0.74	0.74	0.73
Russia	n/a*	n/a*	n/a*	13.28	12.54	10.79	10.44
USA	20.36	19.64	19.39	19.42	19.87	19.86	19.68
*n/a = no data available

Source: International Energy Agency

Since 1990, Germany has been a frontrunner of international climate protection policy. The warnings from atmospheric physicians, meteorologists and climatologists were taken seriously at a very early stage, and the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gases was recognised.

The cabinet decision of 13 June 1990 was the starting point for a national climate protection programme, i.e. long before the UN Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. With this decision, the German Government set up the Interministerial Working Group "CO2-Reduction" (IMA "CO2-Reduction") under the auspices of the German Federal Environment Ministry. Its task is to formulate demanding climate protection goals, to point out the potential for reducing greenhouse gases, especially CO2, to exploit this potential as far as possible, to monitor progress in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and to submit recommendations.

On 7. November 1990, 11. December 1991, 29. September 1994 and 6. November 1997 the IMA "CO2-Reduction" submitted reports to the Federal Cabinet. The IMA "CO2-Reduction" was able to make broad recommendations for shaping a demanding precautionary climate protection policy on the basis of numerous proposals from the scientific community and with the work of both the Climate Study Commissions from 1987 to 1994. This led to a catalogue of more than 150 measures. These include regulatory requirements such as the Thermal Insulation Ordinance and the Heating Systems Ordinance, economic instruments such as the ecological tax reform and programmes for promoting renewable energies together with supporting measures. This strategy should enable existing potential to be utilised in a way which is both economically and ecologically beneficial. Current obstacles should be identified and where possible overcome.

On 25. October 1999 Chancellor Gerhard Schroder announced an updated national Climate Change Programme. The IMA "CO2-Reduction" will submit its fifth report until June 2000.

This must be carried out on the basis of the results of the Conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention on Climate Change in Kyoto, Buenos Aires and Bonn. This means the need to adapt national concepts resulting from international negotiations must be implemented. Due to the sectoral development of CO2 emissions, the focal point of the "CO2 Reduction" IWG deliberations is in the "private households" sector (8% increase in CO2 emissions between 1990 and 1998) and the "transport" sector (9% increase in CO2 emissions between 1990 and 1998).

The Targets

The German Government is aiming for a 25% reduction in CO2 emissions by the year 2005 in comparison to 1990. Within the framework of EU "burden-sharing", the German Government has already declared itself willing to reduce the 6 greenhouse gases agreed on in Kyoto (carbon dioxide, CO2; methane, CH4; nitrous oxide/laughing gas, N2O; perfluorocarbons, PFCs; hydrofluorocarbons, HFCs and sulphur hexafluoride, SF6) by 21% between 2008 and 2012.

The Way

There is no doubt that energy-related activities must be at the forefront of a sustainably effective climate protection policy. The reasons for this are not only that the share of energy-related greenhouse gas emissions make up almost 90%, but also that well over 90% of other emissions in Germany (SO2, NOx, VOC, CO, dusts) originate from the generation, transport and use of energy. The concerns of precautionary climate protection correspond with the goals of a sustainable energy policy and with the intention of the German Government to change the trend towards an energy scenario which no longer includes nuclear power.

Against this backdrop, priority has to be given to the efficient and sparing use of energy at all levels. Technically speaking, the potential for saving is still considerable. With the best available technology, around 50% of energy can be saved when using electrical appliances, passenger vehicles and aeroplanes, and around 70 - 80% when heating buildings.

The role played by renewable energy sources such as solar and wind energy, geothermal energy and biomass shall increase in the medium term. Solar, wind, hydroelectricity, biomass, ambient heat and geothermal energy could meet half of the energy demand in Germany within 50 years. This is also the conclusion of studies by international petroleum concerns such as Shell and BP. The first target for the German Federal Environment Ministry is to increase the share of renewable energies in power generation from 5% to 10% and in primary energy from today's figure of a 2% to 5% by 2010.

Phasing out Nuclear Energy

The decision by the German Government to phase out the use of nuclear energy increases the pressure for a consistent climate protection policy. The German Government is of the opinion that nuclear energy is not a viable alternative for future-oriented energy supply. In fact it hinders the structural change so urgently needed in the energy industry.

The national climate protection target can be achieved even with the phase-out of nuclear power. This is the conclusion of scenarios developed by both Climate Study Commissions of the German Bundestag. One of the alternative scenarios shows that the phase-out of nuclear power and the implementation of a demanding climate protection goal are not necessarily contradictory. The preliminary results of the latest studies confirm that by 2020, a 40% reduction in CO2 emissions is possible in the absence of nuclear power. Further scientific studies are presently being carried out which will define in detail the framework conditions for a precautionary climate protection policy and for phasing out nuclear power.

The Results

In Germany, efforts amongst policy-makers and industry have brought the first fruits of success in the battle against these "climate killers". Between 1990 and 1998, annual CO2 emissions fell by around 140 million tonnes, a reduction of around 13%. This success is unique to Germany.

However, CO2 emissions have developed differently in different sectors. For example, between 1990 and 1998, CO2 emissions fell by 17% in the energy industry and 27% in industry, while emissions from private households rose by 8% and from the transport sector by 9%. The ratio of energy-related CO2 emissions to the GDP fell by around 19% between 1990 and 1996. This makes it clear that the process of decoupling the link between economic growth and greenhouse gas emissions has progressed. If we take the number of inhabitants as a reference, CO2 emissions in Germany fell by 13.3% between 1990 and 1996. Definitely a promising mid-term balance.

Table SUMMARY REPORT FOR NATIONAL GREENHOUSE GAS INVENTORIES
CO2 Emissions (preliminary Data for 1995 - 1998)

Table SUMMARY REPORT FOR NATIONAL GREENHOUSE GAS INVENTORIES
CH4 Emissions (preliminary Data for 1995 - 1998)

Table SUMMARY REPORT FOR NATIONAL GREENHOUSE GAS INVENTORIES
N2O Emissions (preliminary Data for 1995 - 1998)

Table SUMMARY REPORT FOR NATIONAL GREENHOUSE GAS INVENTORIES
NOx Emissions (preliminary Data for 1995 - 1998)

Table SUMMARY REPORT FOR NATIONAL GREENHOUSE GAS INVENTORIES
CO Emissions (preliminary Data for 1995 - 1998)

Table SUMMARY REPORT FOR NATIONAL GREENHOUSE GAS INVENTORIES
NMVOC Emissions (preliminary Data for 1995 - 1998)

Table SUMMARY REPORT FOR NATIONAL GREENHOUSE GAS INVENTORIES
SO2 Emissions (preliminary Data for 1995 - 1998)

Reunification in Germany

The objection is frequently raised that the reduction in CO2 emissions can be exclusively traced back to the so-called "wall fall profits", i.e. the economic collapse in the new Federal Länder. But this is only partly true. A careful analysis of the development over the last 10 years reveals various causes. Without going into detail, these are as follows:

• Economic restructuring in the new Länder has led to a clear decrease in CO2 emissions. Alone the change from lignite to other energy sources such as crude oil and gas has considerably improved the emissions balance. Furthermore, the rehabilitation of buildings in eastern Germany with considerable public and private investment has helped reduce energy consumption.
• Germany's willingness to take in people from other countries and for example to offer them asylum was significant for the emissions balance. In terms of the energy balance, the population growth of more than 2 million people results in at least 50 million tonnes of CO2 per year in Germany.
• Following German unification, a population migration occurred between the new and old Länder which led to a increase in the population in western Germany of at least 1 million.
• Ultimately, the production capacities in the old Länder were stretched to their limits supplying the new Länder with goods and services. This trend - which also massively increased the CO2 balance in the old Länder - is only reversing slowly.
• The deciding factor for the reduction in absolute CO2 emissions is the continuous improvement in energy efficiency in industry and households as well as the change towards lower-emission fuels. Progress was not only made in eastern Germany. The same development has been taking place for years in the old Länder and it continues unabated.

While it is true that we have now reached half-way in our progress towards the national climate protection goal, it is nevertheless becoming increasingly difficult to reduce greenhouse gas emissions any further. It is imperative that we press, forward with our developments, both to attain the national climate protection goal, and to provide a German contribution to the European climate protection strategy. Our efforts must therefore be significantly increased over the coming years.

4. Best practice in Germany

A fundamental point to note is that there is no general formula for effective climate protection. For each case, the framework conditions should first be analysed so that an "appropriate" set of measures can be developed and implemented.

5. Conclusions and Outlook

German environmental policy emphasises climate protection very strongly. During the last ten years a broad ranging concept was developed and implemented. Now the national strategy has to be reviewed and updated. During the upcoming six months the Federal Cabinet will decide on a revised national Climate Protection Plan aimed to show how the ambitious national target will be met. This Plan will focus inter alia on the following additional measures:

• Further development of German industry's declaration on global warming prevention;
• Promotion of the use of renewable energies;
• Amendment of the Thermal Insulation Ordinance and the Heating Ordinance, with the ultimate aim of an Energy Saving Ordinance;
• Improvement of enforcement of regulations for existing buildings;
• Continuation and, if necessary, expansion of funding programms for the buildings sector;
• Increased use of industrial and municipal combined heat and power generation systems;
• Training programmes, counselling and information campaigns;
• Intensified provision of information and promotion of awareness regarding energy-efficient driving habits.

In addition, the Federal Government continues to express support in Brussels for an EU-wide Energy tax, that is revenue-neutral and does not affect competition; such an instrument would support the implementation of both the national climate protection programme and the European climate protection strategy.

The Federal Government is currently also preparing the introduction of route-based tolls for trucks, with a view to achieving a more environmentally sound allocation of route costs, promoting traffic avoidance and shifting transports to more environmentally sound allocation of route costs, promoting traffic avoidance and shifting transports to more environmentally compatible modes of transport. The Federal Government expects the German automobile industry's voluntary commitments to reach additional decreases of fuel consumption. Overall transport-sector measures could stabilise the transport sector's total CO2 emissions by the year 2005.

The Federal Government's activities in this area are being complemented by programmes and concepts of the Lander, local authorities and other groups in Germany. It is only through interaction of all players at the national level that Germany can make its internationally exemplary contribution to global climate protection.

I am convinced that implementation of sustainable climate and environmental protection policies will also contribute substantially to boosting Germany's attractiveness to business investors.