An overview of how much emissions different consumer types cause per year and how to reduce them to reach the German climate target of 2050.  

CO₂ and other greenhouse gases cause global warming. Humans produce so much of them, that earth gets warmer, than it would do naturally. Environmental damage and humanitarian disasters are the consequences.

Using the CO₂ calculator of the Umweltbundesamt we have developed three consumer scenarios. In the section below you can switch between a Low Emission Consumer, a Medium Emission Consumer and an High Emission Consumer, to compare them and explore the cause of their annual emissions.

As unit of measurement CO₂ equivalents (CO₂e) are used. They contain not only CO₂ but also the greenhouse gases methane and nitrous oxide with the corresponding climate impact compared to CO₂.

for reference
Low
Emission Consumer
Medium
Emission Consumer
High
Emission Consumer
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Annual Emissions

Click on category to show details.

0.49t CO₂e

Heating

100sqm apartment is shared with three others. Heated by natural gas. Average room temperature of 18°C and use of saving valves. Living in a shared space makes for low heating and electricity emission here.

0.23t CO₂e

Electricity

Normal to low power consumption. LED Lighting. Electricity is drawn from Germany’s grid, which means it will include power from both fossil fuels and renewables. Living in a shared space makes for low heating and electricity emission here.

0.19t CO₂e

Rides & Trips

The short commute to work of 6km is done by subway.  Ride-sharing is used once a year to drive to northern Germany for vacationing. Shorter trips are by bike.

0.00t CO₂e

Flights

Flying is avoided

1.03t CO₂e

Food

Middle-aged female who does little exercise. Eats vegetarian and mostly seasonal, regional and organic. No frozen food. However a big factor for low emission here is her low energy needs.

2.81t CO₂e

Other Consumption

Spends about 450€ a month on durable products like clothes, furniture, books et cetera. Spends less than 2 weeks a year in hotels. The emissions in this category are also influenced by the high number of inhabitants in a household.

0,73t CO₂e

Public Emissions

Public Emissions are caused by the state. In this calculation they are divided equally among the inhabitants.

5.48t CO₂e

per Person per Year

German climate target 2050

1.11t CO₂e

is Germany's climate target for 2050

4.37t CO₂e

have to be saved to reach the target

Click on switch to apply effective measures.

Annual Emissions

Click on category to show details.

1.87t CO₂e

Heating

93sqm apartment built in 1978 and not renovated since, is occupied by two persons. Heated with natural gas, which is Germany’s most popular method of heating. Use of heating is average.

0.78t CO₂e

Electricity

Power is drawn from Germany’s grid, which includes both fossil fuels and renewables. Use of electricity and amount of household appliances is average.

1.86t CO₂e

Rides & Trips

11.263km a year are driven with a VW Jetta (other mid-range cars have a similar impact). An additional 1.059km are taken by public transport.

0.34t CO₂e

Flights

A two hour economy flight is taken every year (equals a flight from Porto to London).

1.53t CO₂e

Food

47-year-old female with average weight, who eats meat every few days and does little sports. Only partly seasonal, regional and organic foods.

4.56t CO₂e

Other Consumption

450€ a month are spend on clothes, furniture, books et cetera. Used items are bought from time to time. Less than two weeks a year are spent in hotels. A high amount of emissions in this category are caused by the production of items bought. The emissions are also influenced by the medium number of inhabitants in a household.

0.73t CO₂e

Public Emissions

Public Emissions are caused by the state. In this calculation they are divided equally among the inhabitants.

11.67t CO₂e

per Person per Year

German climate target 2050

1.11t CO₂e

is Germany's climate target for 2050

10.56t CO₂e

have to be saved to reach the target

Click on switch to apply effective measures.

Annual Emissions

Click on category to show details.

10.37t CO₂e

Heating

100sqm apartment built in 1978 and not renovated since is occupied by one person. Heating oil is used for heating, which accounts for most of the emissions. The windows are left open a lot and the apartment is kept at 24°C constantly. Baths are taken regularly.

2.35t CO₂e

Electricity

Power is drawn from German power mix, which includes fossil fuels. High energy usage. Uses many old electronic devices and an air conditioner. The inhabitation of a large apartment by only one person has a big impact on the emissions.

9.33t CO₂e

Rides & Trips

Commutes 42km to work every day in a BMW 7 G11 (other luxury cars have a similar impact). Rides a motorcycle in his free time once a month. Takes a long commute 40 times a year to visit customers 231km away. Driving a car by himself accounts for most emissions in this category.

40.07t CO₂e

Flights

Takes 3 intercontinental and 3 inner-European flights a year. This comes down to about 50.000km of flight. Flights are in first or business class. Especially intercontinental flights cause huge emissions.

2.73t CO₂e

Food

Middle-aged, slightly overweight man that eats meat daily. Works out frequently and rarely buys regional, seasonal and organic foods.

15.45t CO₂e

Other Consumption

Spends 900€ a month on clothes, furniture, books et cetera based on functionality not durability. Spends more than 4 weeks a year in hotels. The amount of emissions in this category is also influenced by the low number of inhabitants in a household.

0,73t CO₂e

Public Emissions

Public Emissions are caused by the state. In this calculation they are divided equally among the inhabitants.

81,03t CO₂e

per Person per Year

German climate target 2050

1.11t CO₂e

is Germany's climate target for 2050

10.56t CO₂e

have to be saved to reach the target

A project by Tim Hönig and Jonathan Schmitz. This website was created in summer term 2020 as part of the seminar Klimagrafik. The seminar was held by Boris Müller.

The main data for the website was calculated with the CO₂-calculator of the Umweltbundesamt. To look up all of our sources and research methods download the PDF below.

Sources and Research Methods