“Climate crisis the biggest security problem for all people”

German Foreign Minister at the opening of the Petersbserg Dialogue for Klima in Berlin called on partner states for face-to-face and reinforced efforts against climate warming. The climate crisis is already the biggest security problem for all people on Earth”, the ecologist said. „Climate crisis is not deterred by borders. So even answers should not stop at any limit”, Annalena Baerbock noted. The goal is that together and internationally „s can avoid the greatest security risk of this century”.

“Intensification of”

Baerbox drew attention to the threatening climate warming development in Africa, but also to the devastating fires of recent weeks in southern Europe, as well as to the flood disaster in Ahrtall in Germany last year. We must strongly intensify common efforts. Because in the past few years it's „a lot of times”.

The minister called a super-intensification of efforts a need. Mankind is in a situation, a „in which global crises are combined with one another”. These include the consequences of the attack on Russian supplies and food worldwide, Baerbox said.

Even if Germany is now limited by Russian gas supplies will reactivate the thermal power plants, Baherbox voiced conviction that the Russian offensive fight will push for a “boster for expanding renewable energy”. Because these energy sources „are the best guarantee to be independent of fossil imports and thus independent of autocratic regimes worldwide”.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz warned against a worldwide reactivation of fossil energy so that the response to the Russian attack against Ukraine does not spur the return to coal energy.

“What should not now happen is a global revival of fossil energy, and especially of coal”, Scholz said in the Petersburg Dialogue on Kliman. “No one can be satisfied, which is now again being asked for an increase in the coal energy quota in response to the threat of restrictions on gas supply.” But this is only a limited emergency measure in time. “Despite the war in Ukraine and the rising prices Germany will not make any cuts in climate protection.

Egypt's President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, who will organise the World Conference on Climate COP27 in autumn, also called climate warming an extreme threat. Especially for Africa, this is a big challenge. The continent needs help because it lacks the financial opportunities to deal only with the transition to the „green technologies” and adapt to climate change.

Point setting for COP27

Representatives from 40 countries are consulting this Monday (18.07) in Berlin to determine the World Conference for COP27 Climate framework in early November at the Shire ell tourist Sheik of Egypt. This conference needs „to be a catalyst for global climate protection and a central guide, to direct the world to the 1.5 degree drop track of temperature growth”, the German government says. Germany and Egypt have organised two-day consultations in Berlin.

Petersburg's dialogue was initiated in 2010 by former Chancellor Angela Merkel. In this context every year, certain states meet to set the framework for a COP (World Conference for Climate) with efficiency. In 2011-2021, Petersburg's Dialogue has been organised by the Ministry of Environment. With the passage of competencies for the environment in foreign climate policy near the Foreign Ministry, these consultations are now held for the first time this year in this dictatorship.

climate researchers skeptical

Prior to this meeting, climate researcher Mojib Latif said in an interview, prospects for developments regarding the world climate are grim. The goal to limit earth's warming by a maximum of 1.5 degrees Celsius against the period before industrialization can no longer be achieved. With today's emissions of greenhouse gases that cause this quota will be exceeded in ten years”, Latif estimates. We're probably not even gonna be able to maintain a 2 degree rate. If we look at what politics does around the world today, we can be on course 3 degrees.” So the world is getting to the point, which must admit that: „Time has passed”, media researcher Medengrouppe Bayern told the media group. Warming Earth by 3 degrees would be a „cating disaster”.

Climate change costs Germany over six billion euros a year. Climate change since 2000 has caused damage in Germany annually to an average of 6.6 billion euros. In all, it is about 145 billion euros. This conclusion is reached in a study now commissioned by the Ministry of Economy and Climate Protection in Germany. / DW