Germany sees no return to easy EU climate decisions
German environment minister and green party politician Steffi Lemke has warned that easy decision-making processes for climate change and environment policies in the EU are unlikely to return after the election in June. This comes after a key EU vote on a provisional deal for climate, nature and environment was withdrawn because of a lack of member state support.
Global challenges and geopolitic "are all too profound" to go back to what the EU decision-making process was like five years ago, Lemke said.
But she noted that ultimately depends on the EU elections results in June and "how far extreme and populist parties gain majorities".
This comes as the adoption the nature restoration law was cancelled yesterday after a number of countries, including Hungary, withdrew their support. Lemke said the vote was supposed to be "a formality" but that it is now unclear whether the law can still pass in this legislative period.
The European Parliament had previously approved the nature restoration law, agreed with EU states, that commits EU countries to restoring at least 30pc of habitats in poor condition by 2030, 60pc by 2040, and 90pc by 2050.
Lemke said that not adopting the nature restoration law would leave the EU more exposed to climate change. "We'll not be able to manage climate risks without nature in order," she said.
Unstable ecosystems exacerbate the problems faced because of climate change, for the economy, infrastructure, human health, she said. "It's also about protecting agriculture from climate change". "US insurers are withdrawing from different regions because they can't insure climate risks anymore". "We shouldn't make the mistake of scoring easy points against climate and environmental protection," she added.
"Climate-friendly states will try to get [the law] up for adoption at a later date," she added. When asked whether Germany has some responsibility for encouraging others to block provisional agreements on EU laws, she said that the country has not always been an "easy negotiation partner".
But Lemke pointed out that Germany had finally approved many important laws, most recently the packaging and packaging waste regulation. The phase-out of the internal combustion engine had been particularly difficult for the German government.
Other member states have also encountered major difficulties in securing government approval or parliamentary support, she said, pointing again the geopolitical situation after Russia's attack on Ukraine. Many countries have seen populist parties and right-wing extremist parties fueling uncertainty, and have had to contend with the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and global inflation. "This had made democratic governance significantly more difficult in the member states themselves, but also in Europe," she said.
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Japan boosts wood pellet imports in March
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MDBs, parties must deliver on finance: Cop 29 president
MDBs, parties must deliver on finance: Cop 29 president
Edinburgh, 25 April (Argus) — Cop 29 president-designate Mukhtar Babayev pointed to insufficient action from multilateral development banks (MDBs) despite encouraging discussions, and urged all countries to play their part to deliver on climate finance negotiations this year. Climate finance discussions will be an important part of climate negotiations this year, having been "one of the most challenging climate diplomacy topics over the years", Babayev said today at the 15th Petersberg climate dialogue in Berlin — a forum for multilateral discussions. The meeting is a key milestone in climate discussions, paving the way for Cop 29 negotiations. The topic will be key as countries must decide on a new global finance goal to replace the $100bn/yr by 2020 pledge to developing countries made in 2009 and missed by developed countries. Babayev said he was working with a range of actors including MDBs, which have a "special role" as "multilateral public finance contributed the single largest part of the [$100bn/yr] target". Babayev said progress from the MDBs was essential, but while he "had many encouraging engagements during the World Bank and IMF spring meetings in Washington last week , we heard a great deal of concern and worry that we did not yet see adequate and sufficient action". "That must change," he said. He also warned that there is no single initiative able to unlock and increase climate finance flows to trillions of dollars, and instead pointed to "many interconnected elements" that countries will need to consider to set this new finance goal — the so-called NCQG. He added that the NCQG working group has already identified many options. "We know that [there are] strong and well-founded views on all sides," he said. "We are listening to all parties to understand their concerns and help them refine official landing zones based on a shared vision of success so we can deliver a fair and ambitious new goal," he added. "We need everyone to play their part so that we can build up unstoppable momentum where everyone is confident that their contribution is fairly matched by the contributions of others". Germany's foreign minister Annalena Baerbock said industrialised countries need to live up to their responsibilities. "Financial contributions from developed countries and multinational development banks will remain the basis of our efforts," she said, confirming that Germany has a €6bn climate goal for 2025. But she also said that "the world has changed" since the UN climate body the UNFCCC established a list of climate finance donors in 1992. The list has just 24 countries, plus the EU, as contributors. "In 1992, the two dozen countries that provided international climate finance made up 80pc of the world's economy. Now, that share is down to 50pc, and the share of all other countries has more than doubled," she said. She urged other countries in the G20, including China, "to join our effort". She pointed out that the donor base was broader for the loss and damage fund — to tackle the unavoidable and irreversible effects of climate change. Cop 28 host the UAE, which is not part of the 1992 list of donors, was the first contributor of the new fund created in Dubai last year. Babayev said that finance will not be the only important topic discussed at Cop 29 and that work must be done to get "the loss and damage fund up and running". Finalising the Article 6 negotiations will also be a key issue. "We cannot leave everything to market mechanisms," he said. By Caroline Varin Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Barge delays at Algiers lock near New Orleans
Barge delays at Algiers lock near New Orleans
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Baltimore to temporarily open 4th shipping channel
Baltimore to temporarily open 4th shipping channel
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