Welcome
14th Petersberg Climate Dialogue: An important milestone for climate negotiations leading up to COP28
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock at the 14th Petersberg Climate Dialogue at the Federal Foreign Office, © Janine Schmitz/photothek.de
The focus of the Petersberg Climate Dialogue is on laying the groundwork for the COP28 Climate Change Conference in the United Arab Emirates. Representatives from over 40 countries will meet at the Federal Foreign Office to this end. You can find out exactly what is on the agenda here.
The central goal of the Petersberg Climate Dialogue is to strengthen trust both in multilateral climate negotiations and between countries. The aim is to facilitate the negotiations leading up to COP28. Although many countries share the goal of reducing emissions and expanding renewable energies around the globe, these are not easy negotiations. 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.
In addition to emissions reduction and adaptation, the agenda of the 14th Petersberg Climate Dialogue features a long-held demand from many countries particularly affected by the climate crisis: financial support for overcoming loss and damage caused by climate change. An important decision of principle was taken at COP27. This must now be implemented.
Foreign Minister Baerbock stated the following at the opening of the 14th Petersberg Climate Dialogue:
The Petersberg Climate Dialogue is and remains a forum in which we can build alliances among nations that want to forge ahead, where industrialised countries, island states, emerging economies and civil society come together. We want to lay the foundations here for joint resolutions at the Climate Change Conference, and we’re entering into dialogue here with concrete partnerships for climate action, also across geopolitical borders.
Petersberg Climate Dialogue dominated by global crises
The 14th Petersberg Climate Dialogue is also dominated by multiple global crises. Against the backdrop of Russia’s 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 nevertheless. This not least involves reducing dependence on fossil fuels and assisting 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.
In her speech at the 14th Petersberg Climate Dialogue, Foreign Minister Baerbock therefore also emphasised the following:
Together, we’re facing the greatest security challenge of our century, namely the climate crisis. All of us gathered here today can do our part to mitigate this crisis.
After all, and this is the good news contained in the latest IPCC report, we have the policy tools and the financial resources at our disposal as well as the technical solutions to contain this crisis.
Climate policy is a priority of Germany’s foreign policy. Since Foreign Minister Baerbock took office, the Federal Foreign Office has assumed responsibility for the management and coordination of climate diplomacy – including international climate negotiations.
From 1 to 3 May 2023, high-level representatives from over 40 countries will convene at the Federal Foreign Office at the invitation of Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock to discuss in working sessions concrete steps towards overcoming the climate crisis. The United Arab Emirates is co-hosting COP28. Alongside German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, COP28 President-Designate Dr Sultan Al-Jaber and UN Secretary-General António Guterres will also take part (via video message).