BERLIN, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- Germany must greatly accelerate its energy transition in order to achieve climate neutrality by 2045, according to a joint study by various research and economic institutes published on Monday.

Electricity generation from wind and solar would have to be around 50 percent above current targets for 2030, the study by the Ariadne project found. The phase-out of coal as an electricity source would need to take place as early as 2030 instead of 2038.

The next German government would have to get a "great deal underway very quickly," the study said. Considerable additional efforts are also required to achieve the country's sector targets for industry, buildings and transport.

"Climate neutrality cannot be achieved overnight, which is why important decisions need to be made at the beginning of the next legislative period," said Gunnar Luderer, vice head of the Ariadne Project at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) in a statement.

Although renewable electricity, green hydrogen, green e-fuels and sustainably produced biomass are increasingly replacing fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas, there are still energy inefficiencies caused by outdated infrastructure, buildings, vehicles and industrial plants, the study found.

Ariadne project, funded by Germany's Ministry of Education, brings together scientists from numerous institutes, including PIK, Fraunhofer institutes and the German Aerospace Center (DLR).

Last week, a study published by Germany's development bank KfW estimated that Germany would need to invest around five trillion euros (5.8 trillion U.S. dollars) in order to reach its goal of achieving climate neutrality by mid-century.

Additional investments in climate protection measures would come in at 72 billion euros per year, according to the KfW study. Overall, the largest share of climate investment, 2.1 trillion euros, would be required to transform the country's transport sector. (1 euro = 1.16 U.S. dollars) Enditem

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