A two-day conference bringing together around 30 climate ministers from around the world, the Petersberg Climate Dialogue, is set to open today with a focus on sustainable recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.
The online video conference, to be held on Monday and Tuesday, will be hosted by Svenja Schulze (pictured), Germany’s Federal Environment Minister and Alok Sharma, the UK Secretary for Business and Energy and designated President of COP26.
The meeting will focus on how the international community can emerge from the acute coronavirus pandemic more resilient and more climate-friendly.
Schulze said the coronavirus pandemic does not allow the pursuit of “business-as-usual”, including in climate policy, and that it underscores the importance of a coordinated international approach.
He added: “That is why it was important to me that we meet for this year’s Petersberg Climate Dialogue despite the pandemic, albeit in a virtual setting.
“Climate action hinges on how the international community organises the recovery of the global economy. Our way out of the current crisis is also an issue for climate ministers and for the international level.”
Sharma said he was committed to increasing global ambition to deliver on the Paris agreement.
He added: “The world must work together, as it has to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, to support a green and resilient recovery, which leaves no one behind.
“At the Petersberg Climate Dialogue we will come together to discuss how we can turn ambition into real action.”
Participants will include UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Germany’s Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Alongside the regular discussions between ministers from all regions of the world, this year, for the first time, there will also be exchanges between non-state actors, including businesses, unions, NGOs, scientists and cities.
The event will discuss how countries can proceed with ambitious climate action despite the postponement of COP26.
In addition, experts from the invited parties will discuss how to make progress in the international climate negotiations despite the pandemic-related restrictions.
Helen Clarkson, CEO of Climate Group, an international non-profit with a mission of accelerating climate action, said that COVID-19 had been devastating and that as the world addressed the longer term impact there was “an opportunity for governments to help rebuild society differently”.
She pointed to the cleaner air and clearer skies lockdowns had brought, adding: “through positive international cooperation we can begin to understand how we keep those things without compromising on economic growth”.