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At the end of the 30th World Climate Conference, delegates were only able to agree on a minimal compromise. The final declaration does not contain a roadmap committing to shifting away from coal, oil and gas.
Despite an extension of more than 19 hours, the World Climate Conference in Brazil was unable to agree on a binding plan to shift away from fossil fuels such as oil, coal and gas. In Belém, around 200 countries agreed to a voluntary initiative to accelerate their climate protection efforts.
Federal Environment Minister Carsten Schneider expressed “some disappointment” and said oil-producing countries had prevented more ambitious decisions from being taken by blocking the move. Fossil energy sources are not mentioned in the final document, and oil, coal and gas are not mentioned explicitly – except for the term “greenhouse gases”.
A broad alliance wants to phase out the use of coal, oil and gas
The federal government, as part of a broad alliance of about 80 states, has campaigned for a roadmap goal of phasing out coal, oil and gas, but has been unable to achieve it. The global community decided to move away from fossil fuels at a climate conference in Dubai two years ago – when and how this would happen was not determined in Belem, it was contrary to what was expected.
However, regarding the US withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement, Environment Minister Schneider stressed: “What is important is that the world takes part,” even if the main players are no longer there.
More climate aid – but no specific amount
It was decided that rich countries would significantly increase their climate assistance to poor countries to adapt to the impacts of global warming. In particular, there is talk of a threefold increase by 2035.
Financial expert Jan Kowalzig of Oxfam criticized the fact that “no base year for the triple increase and no specific amount” was mentioned. That is likely to be well below the $120 billion per year that developing countries are asking for.
Belly landing for Brazil
For Brazil, the result was a belly landing. At the start of the conference, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said that what is needed is a roadmap that allows humanity to overcome its dependence on fossil fuels and stop and reverse deforestation. This raised high expectations among many summit participants.
The location of the conference, chosen symbolically by Brazil on the edge of the Amazon region, which is important for the global climate, was mentioned several times – but the conference did not decide on a concrete “forest action plan” to curb forest destruction. This reminds us of the previous decision to stop deforestation by 2030.
The new fund aims to help preserve rainforests
What the hosts can point to is a new fund to protect the rainforest, with Germany providing one billion euros over ten years. Countries that conserve their forests should be rewarded according to this new model. Instead, they have to pay fines for every hectare of forest destroyed.
