Auf Wiedersehen, 2022 decarbonization goal: Germany’s energy consumption dropped 4.7% y-o-y, but a reliance on coal and oil due to natural gas shortages more than canceled out the reduced energy consumption’s effect on the country’s emissions, Reuters reports, citing research by Berlin-based green think tank Agora Energiewende. The increase in coal and oil use comes despite renewables accounting for 46% of Germany’s energy mix. The country generated 761 mn tons of GHG in 2022, missing its target of reducing emission to 756 mn tons.

Not just Germany: Coal consumption is rising to record highs with no signs of abating until 2025 amid a continued energy supply crunch. The use of coal rose by 1.2% in 2022 surpassing 8 bn tons in a world first as the Russia-Ukraine war’s impact has forced countries to increase their reliance on coal amid supply chain disruptions.