What is Germany's pathway to limit global warming to 1.5°C?

The 1.5°C compatible emissions pathways assume a significant decrease in emissions in the 2030s and the 2040s, driven by a high electrification rate. By 2030 almost half of the energy consumed in households is set to take the form of electricity, the share of which reaches almost 80% in 2050. Some scenarios also result in hydrogen playing a role especially in the decarbonisation of heating. Most scenarios assume a decrease in energy consumption, in some cases by more than half. The sector becomes fully decarbonised in the 2040s.

While new buildings are on average around 20% more efficient than those built at the beginning of the century, the main challenge are older buildings, which require deep renovation.³3 To reach zero emissions, the rate of renovation needs to be significantly increased. This requires more ambitious policies and funding. To avoid carbon lock-in, all new and renovated buildings should be banned from installing new fossil fuel heating systems and obliged to generate a large portion of their energy from renewable sources and heat pumps. Development of district heating powered by renewable energy constitutes another viable option for the decarbonisation of the building sector.