The Tortoise and the Hare

Welcome back to the Strawman, the daily climate newsletter that’s a bit like British weather. You never know what you’re gonna get, but it’s always a topic of conversation.

Today we’re diving into the countries cutting down greenhouse gas emissions in Europe. Now, I’m not saying it’s a race but I’m pretty sure I heard a count down and make a “pew pew” sound so make of that what you will.

Let’s dive in.

Germany switches on the turbos

The Germans have an… “interesting” relationship with reducing emissions cough nuclear cough - they talk the talk, but until now the walk has been somewhat lacking.

No longer (apparently) - see, despite their issues cough nuclear cough, Germany has been slowly but steadily reducing emissions since the 2015 Paris agreement. Comparatively, the UK started out strong but has since been a little slower in realising its ambitions.

The result?

The German tortoise has managed to cut emissions by 17% from 2016 to 2022, while the UK's rush has only managed a cut of 14%.

Slow and steady might just win the race.

When are we measuring from?

It’s like that kid at sports day who comes second in the 100m sprint but then tells everyone how they were “way” faster over the first 30m.

Nobody cares.

In this case though, that kid is essentially the UK - see, if you measure all the way back from 1990 the UK holds emissions reduction trophy, having achieved an impressive 48.7% cut compared to Germany's 40%.

However, like a runner that sprinted too fast too soon, it seems the UK is now panting at the 50m mark. The country's efforts in decarbonising are slowing down, and there's a sizeable hill to climb with the challenges of cutting emissions from heating and industry.

As the rest of the world picks up the pace, the UK might need to dig deep to find that second wind.

The EU has a big stick

And it ain’t afraid to use it. Given the progress, it’s urging other heavyweight polluters to pick up their pace in the emissions reduction marathon. The US, China, and India are particularly in the crosshairs, with EU officials pushing for a more shared responsibility.

With internal bickering over its own targets, the EU is under pressure to practice what it preaches. However, it's a difficult relay race when some team members - we're looking at you, Poland and Romania - are dragging their feet.

But remember, the finish line is a planet that's still habitable.

See you for tomorrow’s jog,

The Strawman