The world climate conference in Egypt begins with urgent appeals from politicians. The German government fears that the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine will further weaken the fight against global warming.
At the beginning of the world climate conference in Sharm el-Sheikh, the German government warned of failure in the fight against global warming. “Humanity is heading for an abyss, for a warming of over 2.5 degrees, with devastating effects on our life on the only planet we have,” said Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens). Vice Chancellor and Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) spoke of “rampant, galloping” global warming. “The tendency is that you start to shudder at the magnitude of the task,” he said in a video message. The world community is not moving fast enough towards climate neutrality. Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) is expected in Sharm el-Sheikh this Monday.
Several members of the federal government expressed concern that Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine would weaken the fight against climate change. “The attack on the rules of the global community has led to uncertainty, division and loss of trust everywhere, which does not make it easier to unite the whole world behind the common goal. But 2022 must not be a lost year for climate protection,” Baerbock appealed. In addition to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and its terrible effects, the climate crisis, the rapid extinction of species and increasing pollution should “not be overlooked,” said Environment Minister Steffi Lemke (Greens). Development Minister Svenja Schulze (SPD) described Germany as “an important bridge builder between industrialized and developing countries”.
The world is already at plus 1.15 degrees Celsius
At the start of the climate conference, the World Meteorological Organization published its preliminary annual report on the state of the world climate and stated that the global temperature in 2022 will be around 1.15 degrees Celsius higher than before the industrial revolution. Due to the cooling weather phenomenon La Niña, 2022 is likely to be “only” the fifth or sixth warmest year on record. Nevertheless, this summer the European glaciers have probably melted faster than ever before, and the rise in sea level has also intensified.
Under these climatic signs, representatives from almost 200 countries will meet in Egypt for two weeks. With more than 44,000 guests, it is the largest climate conference in history. However, observers do not expect any groundbreaking progress, the Russian war in Ukraine or the Taiwan dispute between the USA and China are a burden for international diplomacy. At least a feared scandal was avoided on Sunday when the countries agreed to officially put the topic of “damage and losses” on the agenda for the first time. Developing countries have long been demanding financial compensation from industrialized countries for damage caused by global warming – for example after floods, heat waves or storms. So far, the rich countries of the north have blocked talks about this for fear of potentially having to pay endless costs. However, an agreement on this point in Sharm el-Sheikh would come as a surprise.