Germany Debates Phase-Out of Fossil Fuel Heating Systems to Cut Emissions

After years of neglect, Germany is making concrete plans to reduce the emissions produced through heating the country’s buildings, which are directly responsible for around 15% of the country’s entire CO2 output. 
However, a draft law for a phase-out of fossil fuel-powered boilers has triggered a fierce debate about the decarbonization of this sector, with critics arguing that the investment costs for climate-friendly solutions like heat pumps will overburden homeowners or tenants, Clean Energy Wire reported.
Given fierce resistance from within the government coalition and the opposition, the proposals are set to be amended in the upcoming parliamentary process. 
Reducing emissions in the building sector has remained a blind spot in Germany’s energy transition. 
Heating systems powered by gas or oil are still the norm in the country’s homes, as over 80% of Germany’s heating demand are met with fossil fuels.
Energy-efficient renovation rates also remain far too low, putting the sector off target in the country’s drive to becoming climate neutral by 2045. 
The target implies that the vast majority of Germany’s 40 million homes must switch to climate-friendly heating within 20 years.
Many boilers are in operation for 20 years or more, meaning new systems installed today should be ready for a climate-neutral future.