A justified ceiling to Germany's CO${}_2$ emissions. Questions and answers on its CO${}_2$ budget. Statement

Is German climate policy on the right path? A CO${}_2$ budget approach allows a transparent comparison between national and international climate targets. The SRU has recently updated its work on a national CO${}_2$ budget for Germany. It shows that rapid emission reductions are crucial. The short report in Q&A format has now been published in English language. In 2020, the SRU recommended aligning Germany's climate targets with a CO${}_2$ budget. This budget was transparently derived from the goals of the Paris climate agreement. The analysis was widely received in Germany and also an important scientific basis of Germany's Federal Constitutional Court's historic decision on climate policy in 2021. The current paper updates the SRU's CO${}_2$ budget calculations on the basis of the latest scientific knowledge. It also answers a number of questions that came up in public discussion. Germany's remaining fair CO${}_2$ budget for a 1.5°C path expires in 2031, that for 1.75°C in 2040 (assuming linear reduction). According to the SRU's calculation, the current German Climate Change Act corresponds to a pathway which limits global warming to less than 2°C, but significantly more than 1.5°C.