From 4 to 5 July 2016, the Petersberg Climate Dialogue was hosted in Bonn by Barbara Hendricks, the German Federal Minister of Environment, and Salaheddine Mezouar, the Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs, who will also serve as President of the upcoming COP22. The Dialogue brought together representatives from 35 countries and prominent organisations including the UN, OECD, Allianz Versicherung and Greenpeace.
After last year’s success in Paris, participants discussed specific approaches for implementing the Climate Agreement and keeping global warming well below 2 degrees. This also included possible approaches to strengthen the nationally determined contributions (NDCs) before the Paris Agreement officially enters into force in 2020.
Another key point of the discussion was the need to develop long-term strategies for climate action. This was also taken up by Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel, who spoke at the venue on Tuesday, pointing out that this “century of decarbonisation” will be especially dependent on long-term investments (of more than 90 trillion USD), both public and private: “The task here is to shape these investments in a climate-friendly way.”
While stressing that the UNFCCC is the main forum for coordinated international climate action, Merkel also highlighted the distinct capabilities and responsibilities of smaller country groups like G7 and G20, pointing to Germany’s G20 presidency in 2017:
"Of course, we are aware that we hold differing degrees of responsibility for climate change, that its consequences impact us differently, and that we have different opportunities to meet this challenge. This remains our philosophy, from the Kyoto Protocol to the present day. Nonetheless, a lot of things have changed dramatically since Kyoto, including the global role of economies. That is why it is so important that the major industrial nations are taking on a leadership role. We will attend to the questions connected to this, especially during Germany’s G20 Presidency."
In line with the consensus on the need to step up implementation of the Paris Agreement, Barbara Hendricks highlighted synergies that need to be addressed:
"Eradicating poverty and combating climate change can only work if they are addressed together. That is why we need an approach that links climate action and conventional development cooperation more closely."
Therefore, Barbara Hendricks and Gerd Müller, Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, together with the World Resource Institute, launched a global partnership initiative to support developing countries in specifying and implementing their NDCs. It should also help merge existing climate and development goals and achieve greater harmonisation among various donor programmes. Müller stated:
"Climate change is driving millions of people out of drought-stricken regions in Africa and coastal regions in Asia. We will only be able to achieve a world without hunger and poverty if we all join forces to drive forward effective climate action. This is a key challenge for the international community in the 21st century and the prerequisite for peace, and for equitable and fair globalization."
Please read the full transcript of Chancellor Merkel’s speech at the seventh Petersberg Climate Dialogue here.
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