Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon and the United Arab Emirates have invited all Ministers responsible for climate policy in the UN member states to the Abu Dhabi Ascent on 4 and 5 May. The meeting, which will be attended by Heads of State and Government, is intended to generate momentum for the UN Climate Summit on 23 September 2014 in New York. Federal Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks is taking part in the meeting in Abu Dhabi and will also be meeting with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for a bilateral talk.
Federal Environment Minister Hendricks commented: "Global negotiations will soon be entering the crucial stage. A worldwide agreement must be reached at the 2015 Conference in Paris. It is therefore imperative that Ban Ki-moon include Heads of State and Government in this process at an early stage. We will do all we can to help make the climate negotiations more dynamic. Climate action should be at the top of the world's political agenda."
In Abu Dhabi Minister Hendricks will give a presentation detailing not only the Federal Government's commitment to climate action but also its support of the global switch to a low emissions economy and in the area of forest conservation "Germany and the EU are able and willing to set an example for others", stated Hendricks.
Initiatives from international organisations, individual governments and from the private sector will be presented and networked in Abu Dhabi in preparation for the New York Summit. In addition, Ministers will exchange ideas on the next steps to be taken in the climate negotiations.