The study commissioned by Google and conducted by the Scandinavian consultancy Implement Consulting Group was published in Berlin on Wednesday (June 14). The authors of the study see the greatest leverage in digitalization and electrification in the transport sector.

According to the study, the German transport sector produced around 146 megatons of carbon dioxide in 2020. "Around 70 percent of these emissions can be saved by switching to electric cars and trucks." However, this requires intelligent charging apps, digitally integrated charging station networks and a smart grid solution in the electricity network to ensure demand flexibility - in other words, a high degree of digitalization on a large scale and at affordable costs.

Digitalization could also contribute to the almost complete elimination of certain emissions in transport. The study cites video conferencing as an example. This could save over 90 percent of the_{CO2 emissions} of a typical international conference.

Google announces expansion of its climate protection atlas

The authors of the study also identified great potential for savings in the manufacturing sector in Germany. This sector emitted around 178 megatons of_CO2 in 2020. "At least 10 to 15 percent of these emissions should be saved by electrifying lighter industrial processes and improving energy efficiency." Digital solutions in Germany's manufacturing industry play a key role in this.

At a climate event in Berlin, Google announced an expansion of its digital climate protection atlas "Environmental Insights Explorer", which cities can use to plan and design their infrastructure more sustainably. The tool is now available to over 700 German cities and regions. Google provides current traffic data - based on anonymized movement data - once a year. "This can be used, for example, to examine changes in the use of different modes of transport (car, public transport, bicycle)." So far, Hamburg, Ludwigsburg, Cologne and Ravensburg are using Google's climate protection atlas.