Germany warns Canada that Europe's appetite for natural gas is set to shrink

Morgan said these are projections, not targets.

In a briefing for journalists at Germany's embassy in Ottawa on Friday, Jennifer Morgan, the country's state secretary and special envoy for international climate action, warned that Germany and Europe will require less natural gas from countries like Canada in future.

"All studies show that the market is going to shrink," Morgan said. "Germany will be driving forward on renewables, and gas demand will decline."

Morgan said that, like Canada, Germany has a binding law on reducing emissions — but it intends to achieve net-zero by 2045, half a decade before Canada expects to hit that target. She suggested the role natural gas plays in Germany's economy is set to diminish.

"It is a part of the transition, but it is not the long term," Morgan told reporters.

She cited studies and projections showing that Germany is expected to reduce its gas imports by 30 per cent by 2030 and 96 per cent by 2050. She said Europe is also expected to reduce natural gas imports by about 25 per cent by the end of this decade.

Morgan said these are projections, not targets.