Federal Environment Minister travels to Climate Change Conference in Nairobi
Shortly before leaving for the Climate Change Conference in Nairobi, Federal Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel today outlined his goals for international climate policy: "Climate protection is a global task, one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century. In Nairobi we have to lay the foundations for a post-2012 global climate protection agreement", explained the Minister. Negotiations at minister level in Nairobi begin on Wednesday. Minister Gabriel will be arriving a day early in order to hold bilateral talks.
The common goal of the EU and Germany is to conclude negotiations by 2009 on a climate protection agreement as a follow-up to Kyoto for the post-2012 period. This date marks the end of the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol. The participating industrialised countries have committed themselves to a 5.2% reduction in their greenhouse gas emissions during this first period in comparison with the base year 1990.
Federal Environment Minister Gabriel: "We are ready to launch negotiations with all countries immediately. The German Government will advocate the European Union taking on a pioneering role in international climate policy and reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2020 compared with 1990 levels. In my view, this means that Germany will have to contribute a 40% reduction, because other countries in Europe with weaker economic development cannot manage large reductions". Minister Gabriel indicated that the German Government plans to make climate protection and energy efficiency a focal point of the G8 and EU presidencies in 2007.
"With regard to climate protection, the grand coalition has proven that it can achieve great things when the CDU/CSU and the SPD pull together", emphasised the Minister. During its first year, the grand coalition has adopted a range of important climate protection measures. Minister Gabriel: "The regulations we have set for emissions trading are much more ambitious than for the first round of trading. They ensure that Germany will reach its climate protection goal of a 21% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2012 compared with 1990." According to the National Allocation Plan for the second trading period, enterprises participating in emissions trading have to lower their carbon dioxide emissions by 15 million tonnes per year between 2008 and 2012. In the current first trading period up to 2007, this reduction is only 2 million tonnes per year. At the end of 2005, Germany had already achieved a reduction of 19% in its emissions.
Furthermore, funding for support programmes for the modernisation of energy systems in buildings has quadrupled to 1.4 billion euro per year. In accordance with decisions by the coalition, the share of biofuels in petrol and diesel will double in the coming years. The market incentive programme, which provides incentives for the use of renewable energies in the heating sector, will be increased by 39 million euro next year to a total of 213 million euro.
The Climate Change Conference in Nairobi is the first to take place in sub-Saharan Africa. In this region, the impacts of climate change are being very strongly felt already. This is why topics that are especially significant for Africa are also on the agenda: adaptation to the impacts of climate change already happening, greater participation of Africa in international climate protection projects and the transfer of climate-friendly technologies to developing countries.
"Developing countries bear the least responsibility for climate change. Yet they are the ones that suffer most from its consequences. Africa in particular needs help now", stressed Minister Gabriel.