Conclusion of the third Petersberg Climate Dialogue
At the close of the third Petersberg Climate Dialogue, Federal Environment Minister Peter Altmaier called for greater efforts in combating climate change. "Many countries are already doing a great deal to protect the climate and reduce their emissions, but this is not enough to keep global warming below the 2 degree upper limit. We must all do more," said Altmaier. The Federal Environment Minister was particularly pleased that many of the states participating in the conference are planning additional initiatives aimed at curbing emissions growth even before 2020. In Altmaier's opinion, initiatives both in the framework of the United Nations and in the form of innovative implementation partnerships are needed.
The Federal Environment Minister praised the efforts of the major emerging economies Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa as well as those of industrialised countries. "But many least developed countries are also doing much to keep their emissions down," stressed Altmaier. Participants in the Dialogue saw the outcome of the Climate Change Conference in Durban as an important step forward in international climate negotiations. "In Doha, we will build on the success of Durban. We want to have a new climate agreement by 2015. Doha will mark the transition from negotiations which commit just a few countries to negotiations on a binding regime for all states", said Altmaier. This transition will be shaped by the second commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol and a negotiation roadmap up to 2015.
From 16 to 17 July 2012, ministers and delegations from 31 states, together with the Executive Secretary of the UN Climate Change Secretariat, met in Berlin for the third Petersberg Climate Dialogue. At the conference, hosted by Federal Environment Minister Peter Altmaier and the president of the next climate change conference, Deputy Prime Minister of Qatar Abdullah bin Hamad Al-Attiyah, participants discussed how to swiftly take further climate action, and what can be accomplished in Doha. In her keynote speech on Monday 16 July, Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel underscored the need to limit climate change in order to keep the impacts of climate change at a manageable level.