State Secretary Flasbarth: "We will do all we can to limit global warming to 1.5°C"
The participants in the preparatory conference ahead of COP 26 (Pre-COP) anticipate that all outstanding issues of the Paris Agreement can be resolved; the necessary preparations are under way. Jochen Flasbarth, State Secretary at the Federal Environment Ministry, called on the industrialised countries at the meeting to close existing gaps in the annual climate finance for less developed countries. The pre-COP for this year’s UN Climate Change Conference was held in Milan from 30 September to 2 October 2021. Over 40 contracting parties came together at political level to discuss the key issues of the upcoming negotiations. Representatives of civil society and the UNFCCC Secretariat also participated. The UN Climate Change Conference will take place in Glasgow, Scotland from 1 to 12 November 2021.
State Secretary at the BMU Jochen Flasbarth remarked: “COP 26 must send a signal that we are keeping the 1.5-degree limit on warming and the other climate targets embedded in the Paris Agreement within reach. The G20 countries that have not yet done so must now submit more ambitious climate targets and bolder long-term strategies by COP 26, as the EU has done. The donor countries must show how they plan to meet the 100 billion US dollar finance pledge for developing countries. There is still a funding gap. It is also important to significantly raise the share of funding for climate adaptation measures.”
Even though climate change mitigation efforts have increased in recent years, the world is not yet on the right path. According to the current NDC Synthesis Report from the UNFCCC, the nationally determined contributions of all countries will lead to a 16 percent increase in global greenhouse emissions by 2030 (compared to 2010). This would mean global warming of around 2.7°C by the end of the century.
The OECD recently determined that the industrialised countries mobilised around 80 billion US dollars in annual climate finance for developing countries by 2019 – 100 billion dollars was the annual pledge. The return of the US to the negotiating table and the announcement of new, more ambitious climate targets from numerous countries at the UN General Assembly in September show that the international community is taking action.
State Secretary Jochen Flasbarth (right) in conversation
State Secretary Flasbarth and Canadian Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson consulted on methods for mobilising the pledged 100 billion US dollars in climate finance at the request of the COP 26 President, Alok Sharma. The results are expected to be available by the start of COP 26. State Secretary Flasbarth remarked: “I had a lot of conversations in Milan that make me feel more confident that we will make progress on the issue of financial support for climate change mitigation and adaptation in developing countries at COP 26. In addition to mobilising financial resources, this is also about fairness, reliable partnership and trust – the most important building blocks in global climate policy.”
At the meeting in Milan, many countries were in favour of concluding the negotiations on internationally transferred mitigation outcomes (Article 6 of the Paris Agreement). The ministers set out a clear expectation that all technical work must advance quickly so that the outstanding decisions to finalise the Paris Agreement can be taken in Glasgow. The ministers also anticipate that the process for the new post-2025 climate finance target can be drawn up in Glasgow and that the topic of losses and damages due to climate change can be adequately addressed.
Almost 400 young people from 186 countries came together at the parallel “Youth4 Climate 2021: Driving Ambition” event to discuss their expectations for climate policy and the outcomes of COP 26. They had the opportunity to present their core demands to the ministers in Milan.