Current climate: European biggest economy's record-low carbon emissions in 2023

According to a new study, in 2023, carbon dioxide emissions in Germany fell to their lowest level since the 1950s.

This highlights efforts by Europe’s largest economy to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions and rely more on sustainable energy sources, according to Forbes.

The report found that the country emitted 673 million metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2023, a decline of 73 million metric tons compared to 2022. The bulk of the decline comes from decreased electricity from coal, but another contributor was economic issues the country faced last year, which caused a decline in industrial production in the country. That means a drastic decline is pretty unlikely during 2024 but a long-term decline can be expected, especially after Germany’s legislature passed a bill last Fall that will phase out the use of oil and gas heating systems by 2030.

The Big Read

‘Green’ Hydrogen Makers Say Strict Federal Tax Credit Rules Will Stall US Boom

The Biden Administration has promoted hydrogen as critical to helping the U.S. slash planet-roasting carbon dioxide emissions. However, proposed new rules for a federal tax credit meant to spur massive production of the cleanest forms of the elemental fuel look unhelpful to companies already trying to do that–and may have them looking to Europe.

Sustainability Deals Of The Week

Laser Leak Spotting: Longpath Technologies announced it’s secured a conditional commitment from the Department of Energy for a loan guarantee of up to $189 million. The loan would be geared towards accelerating production of the company’s primary product, which uses lasers to monitor oil & gas systems for methane leaks.

Bioinsecticide: GreenLight Biosciences announced that the EPA has approved its bioinsecticde for crops, which degrades in soil, preventing contamination, and is also targeted to pests so it doesn’t hurt bees, butterflies and other pollinators.

The Big Transportation Story

A Tesla Cofounder Is Electrifying Off-Road Vehicles, Starting With Dirty Lawn Mowers

Ian Wright, a Tesla cofounder who left the carmaker long before Elon Musk became CEO, wants to revolutionize different kinds of electric vehicles. Instead of new battery-powered cars and SUVs, he’s working to create off-road work vehicles — think lawnmowers, ATVs and tractors — that don’t spew dirty exhaust and carbon dioxide. The first product is a commercial-grade electric mower that’s arriving just as California moves to ban sales of all new gas-powered mowers.

Other Sustainability News

BYD has overtaken Tesla as the world’s biggest selling electric vehicle maker, and other Chinese manufacturers will soon join it.

The boom in electric car sales is leaving legacy auto brands with some hard choices in the coming years.

Saint-Gobain CEO Benoit Bazin tells Forbes how he’s transforming his company’s culture to make sustainability the foundation for how it innovates and goes to market.

Gaza has faced environmental problems for years, with people having limited access to energy, sanitation, clean water or air. The current conflict is making the situation worse, experts say.

An international collaboration of companies aiming to use quantum computing to make buildings more sustainable just hit a key milestone in its process by demonstrating more efficient designs than traditional computers are capable of.