BERLIN (CHATNEWSTV) – Ministers from 40 countries gathered in Berlin on Tuesday for the 16th Petersberg Climate Dialogue, as global leaders seek common ground ahead of COP30 in Belém, Brazil. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and COP President-Designate André Corrêa do Lago co-hosted the discussions at the Federal Foreign Office, with a focus on maintaining momentum toward the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C climate target.
Baerbock underscored the urgency of climate action, warning that failure to act would come at a far greater cost. “Anyone who dismisses climate action as expensive or unnecessary cannot count,” she said. “The OECD and UNDP have confirmed that less climate action means weaker economic growth in the future.”
Baerbock pointed to the global shift toward renewable energy, noting that clean technologies accounted for 10% of China’s GDP last year. She called for rapid implementation of commitments made at COP28 in Dubai, including a just transition from fossil fuels, a tripling of renewable energy capacity, and an end to deforestation. “Whoever protects the climate also protects our prosperity and security,” she said.
COP President-Designate do Lago emphasized the Petersberg Climate Dialogue’s role in shaping global climate policy, particularly as 2024 marked the first full year in which global temperatures exceeded the 1.5°C threshold set in Paris. “Multilateralism and global governance are more necessary than ever,” he said. He urged participants to embrace the ‘mutirão’ spirit—a Brazilian term for collective effort—in tackling the interconnected social, economic, and environmental dimensions of climate change.
Bridging Baku, Berlin, and Belém
The Petersberg Climate Dialogue aims to build confidence ahead of COP30, where nations will negotiate the next steps in climate finance and emissions reduction. Following agreements made at COP29 in Baku, the Berlin talks are seen as a bridge toward the next major conference in Belém in November.
The event brings together representatives from the most vulnerable nations, including small island states and least-developed countries, alongside major G20 economies. Discussions focus on accelerating the transition to climate-neutral economies and strengthening global cooperation.
With the world watching, the challenge remains: can governments turn climate pledges into concrete action before the window to keep warming below 1.5°C closes for good?
