Ministers from all over the world prepare for Climate Summit in Paris.

Federal Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks and French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius have invited around 35 ministers from all regions of the world to participate in the sixth Petersberg Climate Dialogue from 17 to 19 May 2015. With the Dialogue Germany and France want to pave the way for a successful outcome at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 21) in Paris at the end of this year. Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President François Hollande will address the ministers on Tuesday morning.

The Dialogue begins on Monday morning with a discussion of the core elements of the planned agreement of Paris. Ministers will then go on to look at the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) which each country is to formulate and submit and consider mechanisms for enhancing the level of ambition. On Monday afternoon talks will focus on the role of climate finance and the form a set of rules anchored in the Paris agreement might take to ensure our efforts are comparable, binding and honest.

For the complete press release, please see Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety.

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