As part of a series series on how key emitters are responding to climate change, Carbon Brief profiles Germany – the nation with both the most renewable power and the highest emissions in Europe.

Germany has a long history as an industrial powerhouse and it remains a centre of European manufacturing.

As of 2023, it had the 12th highest emissions in the world.

The nation was an early leader in developing wind and solar power.

Its “Energiewende” policies have driven a surge in these technologies over the past two decades, at the same time as winding down its sizable nuclear power sector.

However, Germany still uses more coal than any other country in Europe.

The shock of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 also exposed its reliance on fossil-fuel imports, particularly gas.

Germany has often been framed as a “climate leader” on the world stage.

But the recent coalition government has struggled with internal disputes and there has been some backsliding on its climate targets.

In particular, Germany has repeatedly failed to meet its obligations at the national and EU levels to cut emissions from its cars and houses.

In recent years, there has also been a growing backlash from some quarters to some of its net-zero policies.

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