The reactions to the world climate conference in Egypt are sobering. Regression could be prevented, failure – nothing more. In fact, a change can be observed in Sharm el Sheikh, the ambition of which seems to surprise even the otherwise green EU.
The reactions to the world climate conference in Egypt are sobering. “We were able to prevent a step backwards behind the Glasgow and Paris consensus,” said Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, summarizing the COP27. “Failure was prevented in Sharm el Sheikh,” said Ottmar Edenhofer, director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. In fact, there was only one real step forward: after years of discussions, the rich countries gave up their resistance and agreed to a joint pot of money to be used to pay for climate damage in poorer countries.
But even with this agreement, conference participants quarrel, as Lisa Göldner from Greenpeace makes clear: “Where should this money be collected and how should it actually be distributed?” she asks in ntv’s “Climate Laboratory”.
Nevertheless, a change could be seen at the COP27, which, however, was not initiated in Egypt but elsewhere in the world: A few weeks ago, Brazilian voters dumped President Jair Bolsonaro. He is still trying to stay in office in court with “malicious and irresponsible” sleight of hand. In Sharm el Sheikh, however, the new, green Brazilian wind could already be felt: Bolsonaro’s elected successor, Lula da Silva, was visiting and was received like a messiah on his arrival – among other things because he had signed a new rainforest alliance with Indonesia and the Democratic Party Republic of the Congo had in their luggage.
US President Joe Biden also made a stopover in Egypt on his way to the G20 summit in Indonesia. A few days after a surprising number of US voters had voted for the Democrats and especially the young Americans in the midterm elections, also for climate protection. A few months after Biden and his Democratic Party passed a gigantic climate protection package. A few years after ex-President Donald Trump had terminated the Paris climate agreement on behalf of the USA.
Progress that was apparently not expected by the previous climate leader Europe: For several weeks now, the EU Commission, the French and the German government have been complaining about unfair competitive advantages for American companies and oversubsidization. Because the US government is luring with tax breaks worth 400 to 800 billion dollars. In comparison, even the ambitious Easter package from Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck seems tiny. German industry is therefore also looking enviously at the USA and is already publicly pushing for a European version of the American climate boom.
Although in view of the Russian attack on Ukraine, astonishing things have happened in Germany after years of doing nothing that were long considered impossible: There is an Easter package with ambitious expansion targets for renewable energies. Buses and trains are suddenly subsidized with billions. Gas and electricity consumption are significantly reduced.
It’s “totally fascinating,” says Lisa Göldner of Greenpeace in the “climate laboratory.” “I didn’t expect it to happen so quickly. This shows that it can work if the will is big enough.”
Progress and change are by no means limited to Europe and North America. A few weeks ago, China announced the construction of a gigantic offshore wind farm whose installed capacity of 43 gigawatts could theoretically supply all of Norway with electricity. With financial support from Great Britain and the EU, Vietnam is preparing its multi-billion dollar phase-out of coal-fired power generation – as are Indonesia and South Africa.
At the COP27 there was no big hit. But for once that’s okay, because never before has it been clearer than this year: Even the very last seem to have taken the path of climate protection. And anyone who hears the cold voices from Europe can hope that the green march will soon turn into a race.
