Given Germany's weight and its upcoming EU presidency, Chancellor Angela Merkel is in the driving seatAs the EU and world governments log on to their one high-level climate meeting this year on Monday, it is critical that the EU - and Germany, the meeting host - push climate action at home and abroad.
What’s happening?
The annual ‘Petersberg Climate Dialogue’, coordinated by the government of Germany - with the UK as co-host this year - will take place online on 27-28 April. With the COP26 climate summit postponed, this is the only high-level political discussion that will take place internationally in 2020. It is therefore crucial that governments keep climate action momentum up by stating their intention to rapidly increase their climate pledges - Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). The EU must lead the way next week by committing to update its 2030 pledge to 65% emissions reductions before the autumn.
Ester Asin, Director of WWF European Policy Office said:
“The EU and Germany need to grasp this opportunity for climate leadership with both hands. Governments are rightly focusing on the Covid-19 pandemic today, but the EU has committed to making our recovery green and aligned with our climate goals. Putting sustainability and climate action at the heart of how we rebuild the economy is the best way to ensure the wellbeing and resilience of people and planet.
“At Petersberg, all leaders must speak out in favour of a green recovery which follows climate science in order to unlock higher national climate pledges. Given Germany's economic and political weight and upcoming EU presidency, Chancellor Angela Merkel is in the driving seat - her signalling that the country will shift key economic sectors rapidly to clean technologies would send a powerful message both within the EU and internationally,” added Asin.
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