Germany passed a bill on Thursday that would make energy-saving measures mandatory across all sectors of the economy, according to media reports.
The new law, called the Energy Efficiency Act, would regulate energy saving in public buildings, industry and computing centers, hoping to reduce energy consumption by 26.5% by 2030 compared to 2008.
The Energy Efficiency Act goes beyond measures Germany took last year amid fears of energy shortages after Russia cut gas supplies. In August last year, Germany banned swimming and bathing pool heating, limited heating above 66F in office buildings, and banned heating in certain public areas. Hot water for handwashing in toilets was turned off, and most monument and advertising lighting was banned.
By 2022, Germany’s energy consumption had fallen to its lowest level since 1990.
The new law – a scaled-back version of a bill introduced in April – will require companies to draw up plans to save energy, but no binding measures are part of the bill. The chief executive of the DIHK chamber of industry and commerce said new measures could not be achieved without “jeopardizing economic growth” in Germany.
Still, climate group German Energy Efficiency Initiative said it was still unlikely that Germany would meet its 2030 target of cutting emissions by 65 percent from 1990 levels.