The EEI is compiled by the University of Stuttgart, the Federation of German Industries (BDI), and other partners on a bi-annual basis. According to the latest index, more than half of all German companies – from small firms to large corporations – want to become climate neutral. However, the expectations of industrial companies are higher than what they have actually done, since investments in energy efficiency measures have recently declined slightly. According to the survey, technical barriers are the main obstacles to CO2 neutrality. Such as in the case of cement production, which cannot currently be performed in a carbon-neutral way or only with extreme difficulty. Since the CO2 price is set to rise in 2021, it is, however, in the interest of companies to reduce their CO2 emissions as soon as possible, continues the study.

Germany’s goal is even to become “extensively greenhouse gas-neutral” by 2050, says the German government . But since industry cannot manage this transition alone, it needs an appropriate political framework, says Patrick Graichen , Director of German think tank Agora Energiewende, which published a study in November 2019 in which it presented and evaluated the possible policy options.