Chancellor at climate summit: Scholz promotes global “climate club”

At the world climate conference in Egypt, Chancellor Scholz promoted the “Climate Club” – a kind of multinational trade agreement. In addition, Germany wants to help vulnerable countries with a protective shield.

The chancellor and the climate: Olaf Scholz is at the world climate summit all day long – advising on climate issues and meeting for bilateral talks.

A favorite topic of the chancellor: his so-called climate club, founded during the G7 presidency at Schloss Elmau, a kind of multinational trade agreement for the climate-friendly conversion of industry, which is intended to prevent industries from simply migrating when climate standards are raised in a country. If you want to belong to the club, you have to take climate protection measures.

Scholz already campaigned for new members in his speech to the plenum. “The climate club is open to everyone who wants to join us in making progress in the climate-neutral conversion of our economies and our industry,” he said. Norway, Australia and the United Arab Emirates, among others, have declared their interest in membership.

“Now actions must be implemented locally”

Christoph Heusgen, head of the Munich Security Conference, is hoping for further concrete steps at the summit: “What is being said again and again here, and that is absolutely the most important thing: It is not enough to stick to commitments, to make commitments, to set goals . Actions must now be implemented on the ground.”

And that also applies to the main topic of the Germans at the climate summit – the mediating role in the disputed issue of “loss and damage”, i.e. climate-related damage and losses. Developing countries demand financial help from industrialized countries when it comes to dealing with natural disasters, for example.

The Secretary of State at the Federal Foreign Office, Jennifer Morgan, wants to give the vulnerable states a voice. “Germany is ready for more international solidarity and the climate crisis is already hitting poor countries hardest. We want to support and help these people more,” she explained.

Germany wants a protective shield for vulnerable states

Germany’s idea: A so-called global protective umbrella for the most vulnerable states. Germany wants to provide 170 million euros for this, announced Scholz. Environmental protection organizations criticize the sum as a drop in the ocean.

Richard Probst from the Friedrich-Ebert-Foundation nevertheless welcomes the initiative: “It’s a beginning and something grows from every beginning, and that has to be acknowledged that this was a first step in the right direction. Of course, more effort will be needed in the future as well from other states and above all from the economy to step in here with more financial aid, that it really is a protective shield and not a holey umbrella.” According to Probst, the fact that Germany took the initiative at all is to be rated positively.

Demand: Scholz should address human rights in Egypt

The Federal Chancellor is also meeting today for various bilateral talks, including with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. And the devastating human rights situation in Egypt must urgently be addressed, says Hossam Bahgat from the human rights organization Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights.

He said: “We call on everyone here at the conference to show solidarity with the Egyptian people when it comes to human rights. To press the Egyptian government to release political prisoners, stop the persecution of human rights defenders and allow free press.”