As the world’s most vulnerable countries call for enhanced climate cooperation, a stark warning has been issued that opposition to slowing climate change is growing stronger. Can the global community overcome rising uncertainty and geopolitical tensions to secure future economic stability?
The world’s climate diplomats have gathered in Berlin to shape the agenda for the COP30 climate summit in Brazil, as rising geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainty take center stage. Despite the US decision to pull out of the Paris Agreement and boost fossil fuel production, renewable energies are growing, and climate diplomacy continues.
A Call to Action
Germany’s outgoing foreign minister Annalena Baerbock has issued a stark warning that opposition to slowing climate change is ‘growing stronger,’ stressing the urgent need for stronger action to secure future global economic stability. She noted that any delay in addressing climate change would result in higher costs and more severe consequences.
Climate change refers to significant long-term changes in the Earth's climate, including rising temperatures, altered precipitation patterns, and increased frequency of extreme weather events.
The main cause of climate change is human activities that release greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide and methane, into the atmosphere, leading to a global average temperature increase of over 1°C since the late 19th century.
This has severe consequences for ecosystems, economies, and human societies worldwide.
Annalena Baerbock is a German politician who has been serving as the country's first female foreign minister since December 2021.
Born in 1980, she rose to prominence as a member of the Green Party and served as its chair from 2018 to 2022.
Baerbock has been a strong advocate for climate action and human rights.
She has also been involved in various international efforts, including the European Union's foreign policy initiatives.
As foreign minister, Baerbock is responsible for promoting Germany's interests abroad and shaping the country's foreign policy agenda.
The Paris Agreement, which aims to limit global temperature increases to 1.5 degrees Celsius, is under pressure once again, even as climate change-linked extreme weather events multiply around the world. Baerbock emphasized that ‘anyone who dismisses climate action in these turbulent times as being expensive, onerous or superfluous cannot count.’
A New Economic Reality
Baerbock also made an economic argument for ambitious climate plans, citing recent OECD-UNDP findings showing that less climate action means significantly lower economic growth. She highlighted the growing investment in renewable energies, with almost twice as much investment in clean technologies as in fossil fuels last year.
Climate action refers to efforts aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating the impacts of climate change.
According to the United Nations, global temperatures have risen by over 1°C since the late 19th century.
The Paris Agreement sets a goal to limit warming to well below 2°C and pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
Climate action involves transitioning to renewable energy sources, increasing energy efficiency, and protecting natural carbon sinks such as forests.
The study by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and United Nations Development Program found that accelerated climate action could boost global GDP by 0.2% by 2040 and 3% by mid-century compared to the status quo. Targeted climate policies and investment in clean energy and efficiency could cut emissions while stimulating productivity and innovation.
A Global Response
The meeting in Berlin comes as countries prepare to submit their new nationally determined contributions (NDCs) outlining new climate objectives up to 2035 ahead of COP30. However, so far, only a handful of countries have done so. Delegates seem determined to forge ahead despite the absence of the world’s second-largest carbon emitter after China.
EU Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra acknowledged that seeing the US government turn its back on global climate action was ‘a significant blow.’ However, he remained confident that US climate action would continue in other ways and expressed optimism about the economic argument for stronger climate commitments.
A Shared Goal
The Petersberg Dialogue marks a critical milestone on the way to COP30, following a year of scorching heat waves and extreme weather made worse by climate change. The veteran climate diplomat Andre Correa do Lago emphasized that countries need to seize developments to remain competitive, while also building resilience and ensuring energy security.
‘No country can solve this crisis alone,’ he said. ‘We must work in partnership to achieve this common goal.‘ Commitments alone are not enough; we must hold ourselves accountable to the promises made and ramp up our actions to meet these targets. We cannot afford to wait any longer.
