Meeting of around 30 climate ministers will take place online for the first time
Federal Environment Minister Svenja Schulze and Alok Sharma, the UK Secretary of State for Business and Energy and designated president of the next UN Climate Change Conference (COP26), are hosting the 11th Petersberg Climate Dialogue on 27 and 28 April. This year, for the first time, the event will take place as an online video conference. The meeting will focus on how the international community can emerge from the acute coronavirus pandemic more resilient and more climate-friendly.
Federal Environment Minister Schulze stated: "The coronavirus pandemic does not allow us to pursue business-as-usual, and that includes in our climate policy. At the same time, this crisis underscores the importance of multilateral cooperation. A coordinated international approach remains essential in climate policy too. That is why it was important to me that we meet for this year's Petersberg Climate Dialogue despite the pandemic, albeit in a virtual setting. Climate action hinges on how the international community organises the recovery of the global economy. That is why our way out of the current crisis is also an issue for climate ministers and for the international level."
The UK Secretary of State for Business and Energy, Alok Sharma, stated: "As President of COP26, I am absolutely committed to increasing global climate ambition so that we deliver on the Paris Agreement. The world must work together, as it has to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, to support a green and resilient recovery, which leaves no one behind. At the Petersberg Climate Dialogue we will come together to discuss how we can turn ambition into real action."
As in previous years, the Petersberg Climate Dialogue offers a platform for the informal political discussion of topical issues of international climate policy. The Petersberg Climate Dialogue has become an established key event for international climate diplomacy and, even in these difficult times, will bring together ministers from some 30 countries. The main event of this year's meeting is the high-level segment on 28 April. Participants will include UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel.
This year's Petersberg Climate Dialogue will focus on how we can organise economic recovery after the acute crisis management, and how countries can proceed with ambitious climate action despite the postponement of COP26. The goal is a green recovery. This means not only creating new jobs but also advancing climate action in ways that make the entire world more resilient. It also includes the question of how to design stimulus programmes that will facilitate a more committed climate policy in future. Alongside the regular discussions between ministers from all regions of the world, this year, for the first time, there will also be exchanges between non-state actors, including businesses, unions, NGOs, scientists and cities (27 April). In addition, experts from the invited parties will discuss how to make progress in the international climate negotiations despite the pandemic-related restrictions. An exchange of views via social media will be another element of the talks (#PCD11).
The German government has been organising the Petersberg Climate Dialogue since 2010. In its first year, the event was held on the Petersberg near Bonn. The co-chair of the Climate Dialogue is the country presiding over the next UN Climate Change Conference.