Climate summit - Scholz calls for phase-out of coal, oil and gas
Ahead of the plenary session of the World Climate Conference in Dubai, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has called for a global phase-out of coal, oil and gas. "We must now all show a firm determination to phase out fossil fuels - first and foremost coal. We can set sail for this at this climate conference," said the SPD politician in his speech on Saturday.
Scholz went on to say that it was still possible to reduce climate-damaging greenhouse gas emissions in this decade to such an extent that the 1.5-degree target agreed in Paris in 2015 could be met. "But the science tells us quite clearly that we have to hurry - despite all the geopolitical tensions," he said, referring to the wars in the Gaza Strip and Ukraine, which are also a major topic at the climate conference.
Scholz: "The technologies are there"
Climate change remains "the great global challenge of our time", emphasized Scholz. However, there are already all the necessary means to meet this challenge. "The technologies are there: wind power, photovoltaics, electric drives, green hydrogen." Germany is driving these developments forward with vigor. "As a successful industrialized country, we want to live and work in a climate-neutral way by 2045," he said.
Scholz appealed to the almost 200 countries meeting in Dubai until mid-December to join in the energy transition. "Let's make the expansion of renewable energies the number one energy policy priority - worldwide!" Specifically, he proposed an agreement on two binding targets that are already consensus in the industrialized countries of the G20: Firstly, a tripling of the expansion of renewable energies and secondly, a doubling of energy efficiency - both by 2030.
Criticism from climate expert: "rousing is different"
Jan Kowalzig, climate expert at the development organization Oxfam, said that the speech, which was delivered in German, was "rhetorically flawless, but rousing is a different story". That's no way to inspire a climate conference. And, unfortunately, the German government's policy does not fit in with the call to phase out fossil fuels: the German government is working against the Paris Agreement by building new fossil fuel infrastructure for the import of liquefied natural gas and at the same time undermining the Climate Protection Act. "The Federal Chancellor has wisely concealed this."
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- At the world climate conference in Dubai, various geopolitical issues are being discussed alongside the climate crisis, including the conflicts in Gaza Strip and Ukraine.
- The Federal Government of Germany, under Chancellor Olaf Scholz, is urging for a global phase-out of coal, oil, and gas at the United Nations-led climate summit.
- Scholz emphasized that the technologies for transitioning to renewable energy sources, such as wind power and photovoltaics, are already available and Germany is investing in them.
- The German Chancellor called upon the nearly 200 countries attending the Dubai conference to work together on increasing the expansion of renewable energy by tripling its rate and doubling energy efficiency by 2030.
- Despite Scholz's appeal for a phase-out of fossil fuels, climate expert Jan Kowalzig criticized Germany's policy, stating that although the speech was rhetorically impressive, it does not align with the intended goals.
- While Scholz insists that the necessary technologies are in place for addressing climate change, Germany is still constructing new fossil fuel infrastructure, such as for liquefied natural gas imports, and weakening the Climate Protection Act.
- The climate conference in Dubai, which is attended by international leaders, serves as a platform for countries to discuss and agree on strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and tackling climate change, guided by previous international agreements like the Paris Agreement.
- Germany's commitment to a climate-neutral future, targeting 2045, as stated by Chancellor Scholz, is an important step in pushing the global community to take bold actions against climate change, as discussed at the Gaza Strip, Ukraine, and worldwide climate summits.
Source: www.stern.de
