Petersberg climate dialogue: “We had hoped for more initiative”

The Petersberg Climate Dialogue is intended to find common answers to the many crises that are currently affecting the world. But before the last day of the meeting, some non-governmental organizations are already expressing disappointment.

Ministers and government representatives from around 40 countries are continuing talks in Berlin on combating the climate crisis. Non-governmental organizations expressed disappointment ahead of the second and final day of the Petersberg Climate Dialogue. The meeting is also intended to set the course for the COP27 world climate conference planned for November in the Egyptian coastal town of Sharm El-Sheikh.

BUND and Greenpeace react soberly

The climate dialogue is about responding to closely interlinked crises: climate change, problems with the energy supply as a result of the Ukraine war and food shortages in parts of the world. “We had hoped for more initiative,” Greenpeace climate expert Bastian Neuwirth told the editorial network Germany. The fight against the climate crisis must not fall behind other crises, he warned.

The environmental organization BUND had also promised more from the meeting. “The Petersberg climate dialogue falls short of the expectations of setting milestones for the climate negotiations in November,” said the chairman Olaf Bandt to the newspapers of the Funke media group.

In his view, the government of Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) could have demonstrated with specific financial commitments that it was serious about fighting the climate crisis and to meet its responsibility towards the countries of the Global South that were particularly hard hit.

Welthungerhilfe welcomes the federal government’s concept

The federal government presented a concept for a protective shield against risks and damage in developing countries. The proposal is aimed at regulations for early warning systems in particularly vulnerable countries, precautionary plans and fast financing systems in the event of damage events.

Welthungerhilfe welcomed the concept – but it must benefit the “most vulnerable countries”, said climate officer Michael Kühn to the Funke newspapers. For damage that has already occurred and can no longer be avoided, there must be a financial compensation scheme, demanded Kühn.

6.6 billion euros in damage per year

Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) had described the climate crisis as the biggest security problem for everyone on earth. On the second day she wants to comment on the status of the debate with her Egyptian counterpart Samih Schukri. Germany and Egypt are hosting the Berlin meeting.

At the UN climate summit COP26 in Glasgow last November, the states pledged to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees and to sharpen their national climate targets by the end of the year at the latest.

In Germany alone, man-made climate change has caused an average of 6.6 billion euros in damage per year since 2000 Study commissioned by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection revealed.