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For more ambition and greater solidarity in the climate crisis – Germany at COP28 in Dubai

Logo of the COP28 in Dubai with flags of the UN member states in the background

At the end of November the international community will gather in Dubai to decide on concrete steps for tackling the climate crisis, © picture alliance / NurPhoto

04.12.2023 - Article

The international community is negotiating concrete steps for tackling the climate crisis from 30 November at the 28th Climate Change Conference in Dubai. Foreign Minister Baerbock will take over as Germany’s chief negotiator in the final phase. Find out more here.

Storms, floods, droughts – all over the world dramatic weather events are on the increase, showing clearly that the climate crisis is destroying livelihoods, threatening human life and exacerbating conflicts. For the German Government, containing the climate crisis is therefore an absolute priority. At the 28th Climate Change Conference, COP28, in the United Arab Emirates, it is working to drive forward international climate action by means of ambitious agreements.

State Secretary Jennifer Morgan, Special Envoy for International Climate Action, will be involved in the climate negotiations at COP28 from day one on behalf of the German Government. She has been working for months to ensure that we are well positioned for the negotiations with our partners around the world. In the final phase of the negotiations, Foreign Minister Baerbock will then take over as Germany’s chief negotiator.

Expanding renewable energies

Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz with State Secretary Jennifer Morgan before his speech during the High-Level Segments at the COP28
Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz with State Secretary Jennifer Morgan before his speech during the High-Level Segments at the COP28© AA

The goal has long been clear: global warming must be limited to 1.5 degrees Celsius. COP28 will see the first global stocktaking on where we currently stand with regard to climate protection. Unfortunately we know that we are not on the right track. The countries’ climate goals and their implementation to date are not sufficient.

During the two-week conference, government representatives from all over the world will negotiate a concrete work programme to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to define ambitious national reduction targets. As well as the multilateral negotiations, numerous bilateral talks will be held in order to drive forward the global energy transition and accelerate the phasing out of fossil fuels.

During the climate negotiations in Dubai, the German Government will work with the European Union to call for the expansion of renewable energies. Specifically, we will call for at least the tripling of renewable energies worldwide and the doubling of energy efficiency by 2030.

Ensuring nobody is abandoned in the climate crisis

The people who are least responsible for the climate crisis are often the ones who are most severely affected by it. We therefore need greater solidarity with the states hardest hit by the climate crisis. Since rich industrialised countries are responsible for a major share of emissions, the latter have committed to increasing their financial contributions for climate change mitigation and adaptation measures. Germany stands by its commitments and is earmarking more than six billion euro annually. Moreover, we are confident that this year, the industrialised countries will fulfil their pledge to make available 100 billion US dollars in climate funding for developing countries for the first time.

Last year, at COP27 in Egypt, agreement was reached on a new special fund for tackling climate-related loss and damage (Loss and Damage Fund), which the international community intends to use to show solidarity and provide support in overcoming the effects of the climate crisis. The fund now needs to commence its work as soon as possible and gradually be filled. That will only succeed if all the states which can afford to do so and which are major CO2 emitters make a financial contribution.

Joining forces for greater climate protection

Civil society plays a special role when it comes to implementing the climate targets. The German Pavilion will therefore also host numerous events organised by civil society players at COP28.

You can find more information on COP28 and the schedule of the German pavilion here:

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