IEA director calls on Germany to lead on climate during G20 presidency
Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), sees Germany carrying a special responsibility in the coming months. 鈥淕ermany鈥檚 G20 leadership, especially in the area of climate change, is of critical and historical importance,鈥� said Birol when presenting his organisation鈥檚 World Energy Outlook 2016 in Berlin.
Many observers see Germany in a special role on the issue as they fear that the United States will shift into reverse gear on climate under the new administration. at an event of her party, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), she would try to work on climate policy with US President-elect Trump, who has said that he might pull out of the Paris Agreement.
Merkel pointed out that climate negotiations with US presidents have not been easy in the past and said that she would clearly voice her position to future president Trump: "Of course, I will then say that I believe that climate change is absolutely caused by people," Merkel said, adding: "We want to see how the positions develop."
Merkel鈥檚 spokesperson Steffen Seibert, meanwhile, laid out the main topics of the German government鈥檚 G20 presidency. Merkel鈥檚 agenda will be based on three pillars:
- Securing stable and resilient economies
- Improving the sustainability of these economies
- Strengthening the G20 as a 鈥渃ommunity of responsibility鈥� 鈥� especially regarding Africa聽
The focus is clearly on the stability of the economies, including reforms of the financial systems and strengthening fair and free international trade.
As part of the second pillar, Merkel wants to advance the implementation of the Paris Agreement. 鈥淒iscussing sustainable energy and climate concepts will be equally important,鈥� the government says .
Germany鈥檚 G20 sherpa Lars-Hendrik R枚ller said, Germany would be using its presidency to 鈥減ush hard鈥� on furthering the UN鈥檚 Agenda 2030 for sustainable development and ensure that 鈥渃limate and energy are looked at together.鈥� A study prepared by the OECD would accompany these efforts on the G20 level by showing 鈥渁 decarbonisation strategy that spurs economic growth鈥� and create jobs in green technology.
Also, R枚ller explained that while former presidencies were primarily focussing on long-term goals such as sustainability, Germany would also make 鈥渞esilience鈥� to current events a focal point, citing the development of climate insurance schemes for African countries as an example for this approach.
Filling the US gap
For Susanne Dr枚ge, Senior Fellow at German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP), climate protection efforts take on an even more important role in light of the upcoming US administration's likely reversal of climate legislation. Germany and other EU member states should strengthen聽cooperation on climate protection, she writes in a .
She sees the next opportunity for such leadership at the G20 summit on 7-8 July 2017 in Hamburg, Germany. 鈥淥n this occasion, Germany and its allies could show their economic interests in setting a reliable and ambitious climate protection agenda,鈥� writes Dr枚ge.
Federal environment minister Barbara Hendricks also sees Europe 鈥渇illing the gap鈥� created by Trump in climate protection. 鈥淲e will have to brace for a situation in which the USA no longer shows the determination to press ahead with ambitious goals together with China,鈥� Hendricks said at the energy efficiency association DENEFF financial forum for energy efficiency in Berlin this week.
Environmental organisation Germanwatch welcomed Chancellor Merkel鈥檚 priority list as a signal to the new US administration. 鈥淚t is correct that the federal government also confronts the new US government with the expectation [that the G20 played a central role in averting a global climate crisis]. The G20 should agree that all member states present long-term climate protection plans by 2018 that show how the Paris Agreement obligation can be implemented,鈥� said Christoph Bals, policy director at Germanwatch.
Germany will take over the from China on 1 December. Until the Hamburg summit on 7-8 July, several ministerial meetings will take place, such as the finance, foreign and health ministers and Chancellor Merkel plans to meet with different groups of civil society.
