Petersberg Climate Dialogue: German ambitions remain blurry

(EurActiv, 27 Apr 2020) The Petersberg Climate Dialogue opened on Monday (27 April) with an appeal to place climate protection at the centre of economic recovery. Yet, it remains to be seen how much ambition Germany will show in this respect. Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) will give an eagerly awaited speech on this subject on Tuesday. EURACTIV Germany reports.

“The pandemic not only changes the way we communicate but also what we talk about. The question of how the international community organises restarting the economy is crucial for climate protection,” Environment Minister Svenja Schulze (SPD) said in her opening speech.

“Unlike the coronavirus, we already know the vaccines against the climate crisis. They are available, affordable and make our lives better.” Therefore, the coming economic stimulus packages should be designed with climate protection in mind, she stressed.

The Petersberg Climate Dialogue, which Germany has organised every spring since the failure of the Copenhagen Summit in 2009, is the first major international climate meeting of the year. According to the environment ministry, the main focus is on how the global community can emerge from the current pandemic in a more crisis-proof and climate-friendly manner.

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EurActiv, 27 Apr 2020: Petersberg Climate Dialogue: German ambitions remain blurry