01 · The problem
What is happening
Much of Berlin's building stock is heated by gas, oil or a large district heating network historically supplied by coal and gas power plants. The state of Berlin has legislated a coal phase-out for its heating plants and set a climate neutrality target. Germany's national energy transition (Energiewende) and building energy law shape the move toward heat pumps, renewable heat and more efficient buildings.
Moderate severity. Material effects on people or ecosystems; actively managed. Severity is descriptive editorial metadata summarising documented effects. It is not a measured index or a score.
02 · Causes
Why it is happening
- 01
Fossil-fuelled heating
Gas, oil and coal supply most building heat.
- 02
Older building stock
Many buildings have limited insulation.
03 · Impacts
Who and what it affects
- 01
Greenhouse gas emissions
Heating is a major source of city emissions.
- 02
Energy cost exposure
Households are exposed to fossil fuel price shocks.
04 · Solutions
Documented approaches
Coal exit for district heating
Replacing coal plants with lower-carbon heat sources.
Expected effectSubstantially reduces heat-related emissions.
Building retrofits
Insulation, windows and heat pumps.
Expected effectReduces energy demand and emissions.
Waste heat and large heat pumps
Using heat from wastewater, rivers and industry.
Expected effectDiversifies the heat supply.
05 · Key indicators
What can be measured
No reliable quantitative indicator is included for this issue. TerraLens shows figures only where a credible source supports them — consult the sources below for current data.
06 · Sources
Where this comes from
- [1]German Environment AgencyUmweltbundesamtumweltbundesamt.de(opens in a new tab)
- [2]Senate Department for Urban Mobility, Transport, Climate Action and the EnvironmentState of Berlinberlin.de(opens in a new tab)
Links open the publishing organisation's site. Some point to the publisher's main page, where the named report or dataset can be found.