UN climate conference: Baerbock expects extension

Status: 11/16/2022 5:41 p.m

The negotiations at the climate conference are apparently going sluggishly. We are not yet where we want to be, said Foreign Minister Baerbock. She doesn’t think the meeting will end on Friday as scheduled.

Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock does not expect the UN climate conference in Sharm El-Sheikh to end on Friday as planned. Among other things, a concrete work plan is needed on how greenhouse gas emissions are to be reduced over the next ten years. “Unfortunately, we’re not where we want to be in the end,” said Baerbock, who will lead the German delegation in the final stages. Her goal at the conference is “that we don’t just talk about abstract reduction goals in texts, in headlines.”

UN climate conferences are often extended into the weekend – and this time the negotiations are apparently difficult. According to observers, countries such as China and Saudi Arabia in particular are said to be particularly difficult negotiating partners. There is still a long way to go before a substantial agreement is reached, said Baerbock.

Farewell to coal and Co probably not in the final declaration

In her view, the climate conference must send a clear signal that the world is saying goodbye to coal, gas and oil. It is worth fighting for “every tenth of a degree less global warming” at the meeting of around 200 states, said the Green politician. “It’s about the freedom of future generations.”

Climate activists are demanding that the phase-out of fossil fuels be written in no uncertain terms in the COP27 outcome document. However, according to a first draft submitted by the Egyptian conference management, this is not planned. “This COP must be the COP that marks the end of the fossil fuel era,” said climate activist Luisa Neubauer.

Poor countries ask for help

Another point of contention is claims by poor countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America for damages. They want the industrialized countries to compensate for their losses with an extra pot of money – for example after droughts, floods or storms, which are increasing due to global warming.

Before she left for Egypt, Baerbock said: “Particularly affected countries, which cannot do anything about the CO2 emissions of industrialized nations like Germany, are right to demand protection against the damage and losses caused by climate change.”

After her arrival in Sharm El-Sheikh, however, she dampened expectations of a so-called financing facility: “I don’t know if it will come, I don’t even know if this is the right moment.” Baerbock emphasized that it was important to “tackle the issue” and that the industrialized countries say: “Yes, we want to talk about it.”

G20 summit: more ambition in climate protection

Tailwind came from another summit meeting: The heads of state and government of the G20 countries, who met on the Indonesian island of Bali, gave their ministers at the COP27 their ambitions in the areas of climate protection, adaptation, financing and also losses and urgently increase damage. They also confirmed that the climate protection plans submitted to the UN for the years up to 2030 would have to be tightened up.

With information from Anna Osius, ARD studio Cairo

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