Development of specific carbon dioxide emissions of the German electricity mix in the years 1990 - 2019

Every year, the Federal Environment Agency publishes its calculation results on the development of the carbon dioxide emission factor (the specific CO${}_2$ emissions) of the German electricity mix in the time series from 1990 onwards, which can be regarded as an indicator of the climate compatibility of electricity generation. In 2017, the generation of one kilowatt-hour of electricity for final consumption, without taking into account the electricity trading balance, emitted an average of 485 grams of carbon dioxide (CO${}_2$) as direct emissions from the combustion of fossil fuels in Germany. This is approximately 279 grams per kilowatt-hour, or 36 percent less than in 1990, and 468 grams per kilowatt-hour for 2018 based on preliminary data. Extrapolated values for 2019 result in 401 grams per kilowatt-hour, which is 363 grams and about 47 percent less than in 1990.