Berlin, Mar 30 (IANS): Germany is set to invest 4 billion euros ($4.4 billion) in a programme to strengthen biodiversity and tackle the climate crisis, the government said.

From 2022 to 2026, these funds will be used for the protection of moors, forests and soils, as well as the renaturation of wetlands, said the Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV) on Tuesday, Xinhua news agency reported.

Natural climate protection is an important prerequisite for achieving the German government's climate goals, BMUV added.

In 2021, greenhouse gas emissions in Germany increased by 4.5 per cent year-on-year to around 762 million tons, according to data released by the Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, and the German Environment Agency (UBA).

Germany is aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 65 per cent by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. Meanwhile, climate neutrality should be reached by 2045, five years earlier than the previous target.

In order to meet the 2030 targets, the country needs to reduce annual emissions from an average of 2 per cent to 6 per cent, UBA's President Dirk Messner said earlier this month. "To achieve this, Germany needs a joint energy effort now," he emphasised.