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13th Petersberg Climate Dialogue: Kick-off for UN climate negotiations
Petersberg Climate Dialogue at the Federal Foreign Office, © Florian Gaertner/photothek.de
The Petersberg Climate Dialogue is taking place for the first time at the Federal Foreign Office from 17 to 19 July. The talks will focus on the preparation of the COP27 Climate Change Conference in Egypt.
From 17 to 19 July, high-level representatives from around 40 countries will convene at the Federal Foreign Office at the invitation of Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock to discuss concrete steps towards overcoming the climate crisis. Egypt, as the organiser of COP27, is co‑hosting the conference. As well as Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Egyptian President Abdul Fattah Al‑Sisi and UN Secretary-General António Guterres (video message) will take part. The Petersberg Climate Dialogue marks the kick-off for preparation of the Climate Change Conference COP27 in Sharm el‑Sheikh.
Foreign Minister Baerbock issued the following urgent reminder at the opening of the Petersberg Climate Dialogue:
The climate crisis doesn’t stop at any borders, and so our responses to it mustn’t stop at any borders. We must intensify our common joint efforts. […] The Petersberg Climate Dialogue is a key part of laying the groundwork for a successful climate conference in November.
Strengthening confidence in climate negotiations
With the start of the legislative term, the Federal Foreign Office assumed responsibility for the steering and coordination of international climate policy – including international climate negotiations. The central goal of the Petersberg Climate Dialogue is to strengthen confidence both in multilateral climate negotiations and between countries. The countries around the table include severely affected island states such as the Marshall Islands as well as the largest emitters of CO2 such as the United States, China and India. As well as emissions reduction and adaptation, the agenda features a long-held demand from many countries hit particularly hard by the climate crisis: financial support for overcoming damage and losses caused by climate change.
Petersberg Climate Dialogue against the backdrop of global crises
The 13th Petersberg Climate Dialogue is taking place against the backdrop of multiple global crises. In view of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine and the energy and food crisis it has triggered, the participants will discuss how they can accelerate the energy and climate transition. One of the aims is to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and assist poorer countries in transitioning to sustainable energy sources in order to limit global warming to 1.5°C. This shows that the climate crisis and global security issues are closely intertwined.
During her recent trip to the island state of Palau, Foreign Minister Baerbock said:
The effects of this brutal war are hitting those hardest who are already suffering from the impacts of the climate crisis, due to floods, due to droughts, due to violent storms. [...] And that makes one thing brutally clear: the climate emergency is not an isolated crisis. It is the most challenging security issue of our time.