The restructuring of the economy after reunification contributed to the decline in energy use, notably the collapse of inefficient firms in east Germany after 1990 (OECD, 2001). Carbon emissions were reduced by the switch from petrol to diesel cars and from heating oil to natural gas, which are less carbon intensive (Destatis, 2011). Higher energy prices as well as European and national environmental policies, such as the implementation of the eco tax and energy standards in the automotive sector, also played a role by creating incentives for energy savings (OECD, 2011a). In terms of emissions per capita or relative to the GDP level, Germany is below the OECD average but above the EU27 average (Figure 2, upper panel and Table 1). When excluding emissions from electricity and heat production, Germany is the third low'est emitter in the OECD on a per GDP unit basis.