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Germany produced *** million metric tons of carbon dioxide (MtCO₂) in 2024. Although emissions in Germany have fallen considerably in recent decades, the country still has the largest CO₂ emissions in the EU by far, producing almost twice the emissions of Italy. 

Coal emissions

Although the transition towards cleaner energy sources has helped Germany reduce its carbon footprint, the country is still reliant on coal. Coal is the most polluting fossil fuel, and one of the main reasons for Germany’s high emission levels. This is also the case in Poland, where ** percent of the country’s electricity generation was coal-fired in 2023. Many of the biggest carbon polluters in the EU are coal-fired power plants in Germany and Poland, with Bełchatów lignite-fired power plant the most polluting of all.

EU emission targets

As part of the EU's Effort Sharing Regulation, member states will aim to collectively contribute to EU-wide emission reductions of ** percent in 2030, relative to 2005 levels, across the domestic transport (excluding aviation), buildings, agriculture, small industry, and waste sectors. As part of the regulation, varying national targets have been established, with Germany and France needing to cut emissions in these sectors by roughly ** percent by 2030.