Policy instruments to achieve the 2030 sectoral emission objective for buildings

The German government's 2050 climate action plan sets a sector target of 70 to 72 million tonnes of direct CO2 emissions for the buildings sector in 2030. However, the 2017 projection report (with additional measures scenario) estimates emissions of approximately 91 million tonnes of CO2 for 2030. Based on this this projection, there is a considerable gap between the action needed and the policy measures implemented so far.

The aim of the project was to analyse and quantify additional policy instruments for the Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy (BMWi) in order to close the emissions gap in the building sector. From a microeconomic perspective, the project focused on the design of the incentive effects of support schemes, in particular. As a result, a comprehensive set of instruments was evaluated taking into account interdependencies.

adelphi and its partners helped the ministry select and create the necessary measures. In particular, adelphi was responsible for the design of instrument groups for a stronger anchoring of the heating transformation in relevant regulatory frameworks, efficiency investments and instruments for social benefit recipients, as well as instruments for increasing the energy efficiency of products.