Net‐Zero CO2 Germany—A Retrospect From the Year 2050

Abstract Germany 2050: For the first time Germany reached a balance between its sources of anthropogenic CO 2 to the atmosphere and newly created anthropogenic sinks. This backcasting study presents a fictional future in which this goal was achieved by avoiding (∼645 Mt CO 2 ), reducing (∼50 Mt CO 2 ) and removing (∼60 Mt CO 2 ) carbon emissions. This meant substantial transformation of the energy system, increasing energy efficiency, sector coupling, and electrification, energy storage solutions including synthetic energy carriers, sector‐specific solutions for industry, transport, and agriculture, as well as natural‐sink enhancement and technological carbon dioxide options. All of the above was necessary to achieve a net‐zero CO 2 system for Germany by 2050.