PenInfo Desk: German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said there are still major obstacles ahead before the UN Climate Conference, known as COP29, can come to a successful conclusion.
Baerbock, who is Germany’s chief negotiator at the conference, said it is still an “extremely rocky road,” during her first public appearance in Azerbaijan after a bout of illness.
It is unacceptable that last year’s climate protection decisions are now being “watered down or worsened,” she said.
“As Team Germany and as Team Europe, we will continue to fight hard for every millimeter of progress and every tiny improvement in the coming days.”
She said her goal is to form a broad and strong climate coalition across continents, as she did in Dubai last year.
Baerbock reached Baku on Tuesday evening after stops in Poland and Armenia, but was unwell for almost two days.
Of the dispute at COP29 over the increase in climate aid for poorer countries, she said that Germany and Europe remain reliable partners in international climate financing.
However, because large sums of money are involved, she said more donors need to be brought on board and that a global effort is needed.
She added that countries that are now among the largest emitters of climate-damaging greenhouse gases must also reduce their emissions and contribute their share to climate financing, naming China in particular.
Baerbock said that the hosts of the conference now also needed to be more ambitious. The presidency must show more leadership and work towards the best possible outcome. It would be absurd, for example, to apply to host the World Cup but not actually like football, said the minister.
Furthermore, Baerbock said that if the United States, under the leadership of President-elect Donald Trump, were to take a step backwards in terms of climate policy, then the European response to “America First” would be a clear “Europe united,” namely “for more climate protection, the Green New Deal, but above all for climate investments on our continent.”
The ambition is and remains to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent, she said.
Source: “dpa”, Editing by Rishan Nasrullah
Peninfo/23.11.24/12.23am