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Smoke stacks of the lignite-fired Niederaussem power plant operated by German energy
Image: Ina Fassbender/AFP/Getty Images

CO2 reduction

Carbon dioxide emissions have a grave impact on the climate. If we want to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit), the world must drastically reduce CO2 emissions.

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All Content on this topic

Familie Beese lebt klimaneutral

Climate heroes!

Karin Beese and her family want to reduce their carbon footprint.
Nature and EnvironmentDecember 1, 201812:02 min
A house with solar panels sits in front of a coal-fired power plant in Berheim, Germany

EU aims to be 'climate neutral' by 2050

The EU has outlined an ambitious plan to slash greenhouse gas emissions, but could face pushback from member states.
Nature and EnvironmentNovember 28, 2018
COP 24 (photo: picture-alliance/dpa/MAXPPP/F. Dubray)

World in Progress: What's at stake at COP24?

The issue of funding is going to be hotly debated at the global climate summit. What do developing countries expect?
Nature and EnvironmentNovember 28, 201807:51 min
Sendung Motor Mobil 48-18

Peugeot 508 sedan

The new mid-range French car combines strikingly elegant design with sportiness and high safety.
Cars and TransportationNovember 28, 201804:08 min
Firefighters prepare to hose down flames around a condo unit in Malibu, California

Still a chance to put out 'climate fire'

Efforts need to be tripled to close the emissions gap and prevent dangerous global warming, a UN report finds.
Nature and EnvironmentNovember 27, 2018
Hard coal mine in Katowice, Poland

Poland's breakup with coal

Poland has long had a love affair with coal. Can it say goodbye and commit to renewables?
Nature and EnvironmentNovember 23, 2018
Brown coal power plant near Pulheim, Germany

CO2 levels hit new record high in 2017

The UN's weather organization said the warming effect of greenhouse gases has increased 41 percent since 1990.
Nature and EnvironmentNovember 22, 2018
Erik Solheim

UNEP head resigns after damning travel audit

Environment chief Erik Solheim spent nearly half a million dollars on travel in two years — a key CO2 emissions driver.
PoliticsNovember 20, 2018
DW Global Ideas | Energy from the Heavens

Philippines: Energy from the Heavens

The Catholic church on the Philippines is fighting against coal power plants.
Nature and EnvironmentNovember 19, 201800:15 min
EcoIndia-Sendung

DYB - Kitchen air clean up

A US startup has developed a cookstove with reduced carbon emissions.
Nature and EnvironmentNovember 9, 201801:32 min
Symbolbild: Volkswagen

VW profits up as diesel costs fade

Volkswagen has seen net profits for the third quarter of 2018 more than double from the same period last year.
BusinessOctober 30, 2018
Vorschaubilder für Motor mobil, drive it, al volante vom 31.10.2018 - VW E Crafter

the VW e-Crafter

The e-Crafter is an all-electric variant of VW's Crafter van. It makes the workday emissions-free.
Cars and TransportationOctober 30, 201804:10 min
Boehme Henrik Kommentarbild App

This war on cars could get ugly

Henrik Böhme
The continuing fears about pollution and diesel are harming Germany's auto industry, says DW's Henrik Böhme.
BusinessOctober 25, 2018
VW, Porsche logos

Porsche fined for role in emissions cheating

Volkswagen brand Porsche has been ordered by a regional German court to pay €47 million in damages.
BusinessOctober 24, 2018
Norwegen Sleipner Gasplattform

Capturing carbon in Norway

Renewables and reforestation will not be enough to limit climate change. Carbon capture technology is also necessary.
Nature and EnvironmentOctober 18, 201805:46 min
Sleipner gas platform off the coast of Norway

Could CCS in Norway save the climate?

Renewable energy and reforestation won't be enough to counter climate change. Norway thinks it has another solution.
Nature and EnvironmentOctober 18, 2018
Serbien Kragujevac Fiat Fabrik

EU car sales slump on one-off effect

The marked decrease is solely attributable to the introduction of a new emissions test cycle.
BusinessOctober 17, 2018
Audi A8 being assembled in Germany

Audi pays hefty fine over emissions cheating

The €800 million penalty came after "deviations from regulatory requirements" at the Volkswagen subsidiary.
BusinessOctober 16, 2018
A woman looking at a fruit and vegetable stand

Plant-based diets needed to save planet

Major changes to diet and farming are needed to allow the Earth to keep feeding the global population.
Nature and EnvironmentOctober 10, 2018
external

Car industry group calls CO2 targets 'overambitious'

EU plans to cut CO2 emissions from vehicles by 35 percent by 2030 pose a threat to German jobs in the industry.
BusinessOctober 10, 201801:44 min
A line of idling cars in Berlin

EU to seek stricter car emissions cut by 2030

Germany has expressed concern that more ambitious emission cuts would hit industry and jobs.
Nature and EnvironmentOctober 9, 2018
People's Climate March Sydney 21.09.2014

You can help avoid climate catastrophe

The UN has issued a stark warning over climate change — but there are also things you can do.
Nature and EnvironmentOctober 9, 2018
Windmill alongside coal fired power station in the Maasvlakte outer Rotterdam docks

Dutch gov't 'acting unlawfully' on climate change

A Dutch appeals court rules that the government must do more to reduce greenhouse emissions.
Nature and EnvironmentOctober 9, 2018
external

Spain's car-free city

Spain, Pontevedra, environment, pedestrians, CO2
BusinessOctober 4, 201801:25 min
A technician working on a partly assembled E-car at Volkswagen, Dresden

EU lawmakers: Slash car CO2 further

The European Parliament has called for a tougher target for reducing climate-damaging CO2 car emissions by 2030.
PoliticsOctober 3, 2018
external

Cows cause global warming

A small business in Switzerland produces a feed supplement which reduces the damaging emissions by ten percent per cow.
BusinessOctober 3, 201801:06 min
external

'No satisfactory solution in diesel talks'

Dietmar Oeliger from the German environmental group NABU is not happy about the government's plans for diesel cars.
BusinessOctober 2, 201802:47 min
Audi's outgoing Rupert Stadler

Arrested Audi chief forced to leave VW

The decision came as a probe continued into whether he falsified documents on emissions-cheating software.
BusinessOctober 2, 2018
Polar bear on an ice floe

Will Germany blow its CO2 budget?

There's only so much greenhouse gas Germany can emit, and it'll blow that budget if it doesn't quit coal soon.
Nature and EnvironmentSeptember 28, 2018
Jaguar Land Rover facility in Solihull

UK car output in third monthly drop

Car manufacturing in the UK has declined for yet another month, with output for the home market taking a severe blow.
BusinessSeptember 27, 2018
BMW - Logo an Firmenzentrale in München

BMW warns on profits

New EU emissions tests and global trade tensions are set to leave BMW's revenues and profits short of its forecast.
BusinessSeptember 25, 2018
car exhaust

EU launches probe into German carmakers

EU regulators have opened a probe into whether German automakers BMW, Daimler and Volkswagen colluded.
BusinessSeptember 18, 2018
Berlin skyline

Greenhouse gas emissions decline in dozens of cities

Over two dozen of the world's largest cities have seen emissions decrease over a five-year period, they have revealed.
Nature and EnvironmentSeptember 14, 2018
Was ist Wald?

What is a forest and what is it for?

Forests are vital for both human and animal life, and for climate protection.
Nature and EnvironmentSeptember 13, 201802:31 min
Symbolbild Monitor mit Börsenkurs-Verlusten VW

VW Dieselgate damages case

Investors are suing VW in Germany for damages over diesel emissions cheating. Hearings start today.
BusinessSeptember 10, 201801:08 min
Symbolbild: Volkswagen

Volkswagen faces German court showdown

The first major court case against Volkswagen in Germany over its cheating in emissions tests begins Monday.
BusinessSeptember 7, 2018
The exhaust pipe of a car with a VW high-rise building in the background

EU carmakers reject emissions targets

European carmakers question the EU's 2021 car emissions goals, rejecting tougher reduction targets planned for 2030.
BusinessSeptember 4, 2018
DW Drive it! (Sendungslogo Motor mobil englisch)

Skoda Fabia: High tech, low price

The Fabia gets a major overhaul – covering the dashboard to the headlights and assists.
Cars and TransportationSeptember 4, 201803:54 min
Deutschland Abgase Messungen im realen Fahrbetrieb

Car costs rise on new emissions testing

New EU test rules bring cars' official fuel consumption and emissions data closer to reality, but they come at a price.
BusinessAugust 31, 2018
data vizualization ddj teaser trains vs planes

The real cost of travel

Flights often appear to be the fastest and cheapest options. However, DW has visualized what the true cost of travel is.
Nature and EnvironmentAugust 29, 2018
Car traffic in Munich

Jail for truculent Bavarian leaders?

Top Bavaria judges are seeking European clearance to jail politicians failing to implement anti-pollution directives.
PoliticsAugust 27, 2018
Pakistan Multan Mann im Reisfeld

Looming nutrition crisis as CO2 rises

The nutritional value of vital crops is under threat. A new study says the world's poorest will suffer the most.
Nature and EnvironmentAugust 27, 2018
Malcolm Turnbull

Australia ditches greenhouse gas emissions target

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's decision to ditch the target has been seen as an attempt to keep his job.
PoliticsAugust 20, 2018
VW plant

VW hits new monthly sales record

Volkswagen's core brand has reported record sales for July, particularly in Germany.
BusinessAugust 9, 2018
A man standing in front of a large balloon depicting the Earth

Last four years hottest ever: US climate report

Greenhouse gases are at record-high concentrations in the atmosphere — resulting in a host of global warming symptoms.
Nature and EnvironmentAugust 2, 2018
Earth as seen from space

The Earth is exhausted!

By today — August 1 — we have apparently already used up all our natural resources for the entire year of 2018.
Nature and EnvironmentAugust 1, 20188 images
external

New test causing bottleneck at VW

VW is running out of space for new cars waiting to be tested against the new emissions standard.
BusinessJuly 27, 201801:32 min

Info-film: What is a forest?

Forests are vital for both human and animal life, and for climate protection.
Nature and EnvironmentJuly 25, 2018
MADE in Germany vom 24.07.2018 Zuviel deutsch

Facts: What a waste!

MADE's statistics on wastefulness.
BusinessJuly 24, 201801:13 min
Exhaust pipes on a car

Opel reportedly manipulated diesel emissions

Opel is being investigated for manipulating vehicle emissions on about 60,000 cars, according to a media report.
BusinessJuly 14, 2018