Germany successfully reduced harmful carbon dioxide emissions last year, but this was primarily due to continued weakness in its industrial sector rather than efforts to adopt clean technologies. As Europe’s largest economy, Germany is struggling to recover from years of economic stagnation. Previously, its gross domestic product declined in both 2023 and 2024, and it only narrowly avoided a recession in 2025. According to estimates by the climate think tank Agora Energiewende, carbon dioxide emissions from German manufacturers fell by 11 million metric tons compared to 2024. Germany’s overall emissions fell by 9 million metric tons to 640 million metric tons, but higher emissions from the building and transportation sectors slowed overall progress. Cold weather was a factor driving the increase in emissions in 2025, as it boosted heating demand, leading to a 3.2% rise in emissions from the building sector. Emissions from the transportation sector rose by 1.4% due to the slow adoption of electric vehicles.