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 are making a significant contribution. With a strategy focused on emission-free technologies, we will achieve net-zero emissions in all business areas within a few decades.
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 targets align with the scientific findings on how to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees. They are therefore consistent with the Paris Agreement. External audits by the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) and rating agency Moody's have confirmed this. The targets presuppose appropriate political and regulatory framework conditions – in particular, for the construction of H₂-ready gas plants and the required infrastructure.
In preparation for net-zero emissions, we are gradually reducing our carbon footprint: by 83 percent (Scope 1 and 2) and 67 percent (Scope 3) by 2035 compared to the base year 2018. From 2035, we will offset remaining emissions in Scope 1 and 2 via climate protection projects meeting the highest standards such as the Gold Standard – and thus achieve climate neutrality within the company for the first time.
The Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) has confirmed our interim targets’ compatibility with the 1.5-degree target set out in the Paris Agreement. SBTi is an independent initiative by leading climate and environmental protection organizations CDP, UN Global Compact, World Resources Institute (WRI), and WWF. It validates corporate climate protection goals using an internationally recognized, standardized methodology.
In 2040, we will take the final step from climate neutrality to net-zero emissions in Scope 1 and 2. A decade later, we will reduce Scope 3 emissions – and thus across EnBW’s entire sphere of influence – to net-zero as well. We will meet the stricter requirements applying here by reducing CO₂ emissions by 95 percent (Scope 1 and 2) and 90 percent (Scope 3) compared to the base year 2018. From 2040 and 2050, respectively, we will offset remaining, unavoidable emissions only via technical and natural measures such as carbon capture and storage (CCS), reforestation, and peatland rewetting.
Rating agency Moody's has awarded our net-zero targets an NZ-2 (“Advanced”) rating and verified their conformity with the Paris 1.5-degree target.
By strategically developing our generation portfolio away from fossil fuels and toward renewable energies, we have set the course for net-zero emissions at EnBW. From 2018 to 2024, we have already halved our CO₂ emissions. This puts us well on track to achieve our climate protection goals.
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 redispatch emissions by modernizing our grids and providing decarbonized, flexible backup power – for example, in the form of storage facilities or H₂-ready gas plants.
We plan to phase out coal much earlier than stipulated by the German federal government: We intend to take all remaining coal-fired power plants offline by no later than 2028. 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 more climate-friendly natural gas. This will reduce their CO₂ emissions by up to 60 percent, secure the power and district heating supply, and preserve jobs. At the same time, we are expanding our portfolio to include climate-friendly alternatives to natural gas and are actively involved in developing Germany’s hydrogen infrastructure. Eventually, we expect to convert our gas plants to decarbonized gases such as biogas and sustainably produced hydrogen in the mid-2030s.
To reduce our Scope 2 emissions, we will switch our externally sourced electricity to 100 percent green power. We require it primarily to compensate for transmission losses physically inherent in our grids.
Generally speaking, the principle of “reduction before compensation” applies at EnBW – in other words, we will reduce our emissions as much as possible before offsetting them. From 2035, we will offset our carbon footprint (excl. supply chain) for the first time via climate protection projects meeting the highest standards such as the Gold Standard. From 2040, we will use only technical and natural measures such as carbon capture and storage (CCS), reforestation, and peatland rewetting, to offset remaining, unavoidable emissions. Finally, in 2050, we will extend these measures to our supply chain to achieve net-zero emissions across all scopes.