The Paris Agreement’s goal to limit global warming to no more than 1.5 degrees requires us to build an entirely new energy system. As one of the largest energy companies in Germany and Europe, we contribute to a secure energy supply and the transformation of the energy system through measures such as the expansion of renewable energies, the operation of grid infrastructure and innovative energy solutions for millions of customers. With a strategy focused on emission-free technologies, EnBW is pursuing the goal of net zero emissions in all business areas within a few decades. Details of the transformation path are described here.
In 2024, we were responsible for just under 40 megatons of greenhouse gas emissions. This corresponds to roughly six percent of Germany’s total emissions. Most of these emissions are not attributed to our own business operations, but to our upstream and downstream supply chain – above all else, to gas procurement and combustion by our end customers.
EnBW’s climate protection goals are based on the goals of the Paris Agreement. The milestones were validated by the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi). The net zero targets have been assessed in Moody’s Net Zero Assessment. The criteria and results on which the assessments are based are presented in the respective test reports.
By strategically developing our generation portfolio away from fossil fuels and toward renewable energies, we have set the course for Net Zero at EnBW. From 2018 to 2024, we have already halved our CO₂ emissions. Details on our targets, milestones, actions, assumptions as well as information on progress measurement and external audit can be found here.
We are reducing our power and heat generation’s CO₂ intensity by consistently expanding renewable energies. We have more than tripled their share in our generation capacity in the ten years from 2014 to 2024: from 19 to over 58 percent. We are also reducing our redispatch emissions by modernizing our grids and developing flexible power reserves that enable a progressive increase in the share of renewable generation in the energy system. These include, for example, storage facilities or H₂-ready gas plants.
We plan to discontinue commercial operation of the coal-fired power plants by 2028 at the latest (more about the planned coal phase-out). Details on our targets, milestones, actions, assumptions as well as information on progress measurement and external audit can be found here. This presupposes appropriate framework conditions and, specifically, that Germany’s political targets for expanding renewable energies and the gas and grid infrastructure will be met.
As part of the coal phase-out, we are initially converting our coal-fired power plants in Heilbronn, Altbach/Deizisau and Stuttgart-Münster to natural gas. Compared to previous coal-fired electricity generation, we are thus reducing their CO₂ emissions by up to 60 per cent and at the same time securing the electricity and district heating supply as well as jobs. At the same time, we are expanding our offering to include solutions with lower greenhouse gas emissions than natural gas – such as heating solutions based on renewable energies – and are participating in the construction of the German hydrogen infrastructure.
We expect to convert our gas-fired power plants to gases with significantly lower life cycle emissions, such as biogas and hydrogen produced from renewable energies, in the mid-2030s.
To reduce our Scope 2 emissions, we will switch our externally sourced electricity to green electricity from 100% renewable energies. We need this electricity in particular to compensate for the physical transmission losses in our networks.
Generally speaking, EnBW applies the principle of 'reduction before compensation' - meaning we reduce our emissions as far as possible before offsetting remaining emissions. From 2035, we want to offset our company’s CO₂ footprint (excluding the supply chain) for the first time through climate protection projects that are certified according to high standards such as the Gold Standard.
From 2040, we plan to offset the remaining residual emissions mainly through technical and natural measures – such as CO₂ capture and storage (CCS), afforestation or peatland rewetting. In 2050, we also want to extend this approach to our supply chain, thereby pursuing our long-term net zero target for all emission scopes, as described in our Climate Transition Plan.
In Detail: Our Climate Transition Plan
Climate action in line with the objectives of the Paris Agreement: EnBW’s Climate Transition Plan uses concrete key figures and processes to show in detail how we want to fully decarbonise our business model by 2050 at the latest.