UN Climate Change Conference: push to expand renewables - fossil fuels controversial
The expansion of renewable energies also played a central role in Chancellor Olaf Scholz's (SPD) speech to the conference plenary on Saturday. "Let's agree on two binding targets here in Dubai: firstly, tripling the expansion of renewable energies and secondly, doubling energy efficiency - both by 2030," demanded Scholz in his speech in the summit segment of the conference, which was attended by more than 140 heads of state and government on Friday and Saturday.
Scholz said that this energy transition also included a move away from fossil fuels: "We must now all show a firm determination to phase out fossil fuels, first and foremost coal." Where gas is still necessary for a transitional period, it should be produced and transported in the "most climate-friendly way possible". However, the future use of fossil fuels remains one of the main points of contention at the COP for the time being.
The aim of the call for renewables is to increase the global capacity of energy generation from solar, wind and hydropower from the current level of around 3,400 gigawatts to 11,000 gigawatts. Annual progress in increasing energy efficiency is to increase from two to four percent by 2030. In addition to the EU, this is being driven primarily by the countries of the High Ambition Coalition, which also includes numerous developing countries severely affected by climate change, including many island states.
There were still reservations in Dubai about the move away from oil, coal and gas, which the EU and others are also calling for. Instead, the host United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia presented a joint initiative with the oil industry for lower CO2 emissions in the fossil fuel industry. The storage or use of carbon dioxide (CCS or CCU) is to play an important role in this. The fact that the initiative is also intended to help reduce methane emissions was largely unanimously welcomed.
Another topic in Dubai was once again climate financing."Germany has already exceeded its target of providing at least six billion euros per year for international climate financing in 2022," said Scholz in his speech. He also welcomed the fact that the fund for climate-related damage, to which Germany is contributing an initial 100 million dollars (around 92 million euros), had already become operational on Thursday, as did the host Emirates.
The fund is intended to support particularly vulnerable countries. The starting capital now amounts to more than half a billion euros, with Italy and France each contributing 100 million euros. However, apart from the Emirates, no other emerging countries such as China or Saudi Arabia are participating for the time being. US Vice President Kamala Harris announced at the conference that the USA would contribute three billion dollars to the Green Climate Fund (GCF), another important instrument of international climate financing.
A declaration on the health consequences of climate change was discussed in Dubai on Sunday. The declaration calls for more preventative measures for the population and a strengthening of national health systems. The German State Secretary for Health, Thomas Steffen, spoke out in favor of focusing measures on "particularly vulnerable groups". Risks include the effects of heat, which according to the World Health Organization (WHO) killed more than 60,000 people in Europe in 2022, as well as more infectious diseases and consequences for food security.
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- At the UN Climate Change Conference, Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) advocated for a doubling of energy efficiency and a tripling of renewable energy expansion by 2030, particularly pushing for this in his speech to the conference plenary in Dubai.
- Scholz emphasized that this energy transition also implies phasing out fossil fuels, beginning with coal, and using gas in a climate-friendly manner during the transition period.
- The goal is to increase the global capacity of energy generation from solar, wind, and hydropower from its current level of 3,400 gigawatts to 11,000 gigawatts by 2030.
- The EU and countries like Germany are among the main drivers of the transition to renewable energies, with numerous developing nations also participating due to their vulnerability to climate change.
- However, the move away from fossil fuels remains a disputed issue at the COP, with the host United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia presenting their own initiative aimed at reducing CO2 and methane emissions in the fossil fuel industry.
- In addition to Germany, Italy, France, and the USA have also made significant commitments to climate financing, but other emerging countries like China and Saudi Arabia have not yet joined the efforts.
- The focus of discussions in Dubai also included health consequences of climate change, with a declaration calling for more preventative measures and strengthening of national health systems in response to the risks posed by heat, diseases, and food security.
- Saudi Arabia and the oil industry intend to use carbon storage and utilization (CCS/CCU) to lessen CO2 emissions in the fossil fuel industry, an initiative that has been generally accepted at the COP.
- Olaf Scholz emphasized that Germany has surpassed its target of providing at least six billion euros a year for international climate financing, with an operational fund for climate-related damage also launched in Dubai.
Source: www.stern.de
