German foreign minister calls for faster transition to green economy

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock called on all nations of the world to accelerate their transition to renewable energies as the Petersberg climate dialogue in Berlin came to a close on Tuesday.

"Everybody can decide now whether they want to be a part of this wave of progress, or whether it will sweep over them," Baerbock said.

Together with her Egyptian counterpart, Samih Shukri, she warned that the Earth could not afford further delays and compromises.

"We cannot slow down the climate crisis," Baerbock said, "and therefore we cannot slow down the fight against the climate crisis."

Shukri emphasized the importance of taking action now and ensuring that no country is left behind. He also called for more help for countries particularly affected by climate change.

In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, both of which Baerbock said had damaged trust and security, she warned that "old conflicts can erupt again, also during climate negotiations."

She emphasized that, although Germany was returning to coal for a temporary period due to the unreliability of Russian gas imports, "we will not budge a centimetre from our climate goals. On the contrary: we will exit fossil fuels even faster."

The Petersberg Climate Dialogue was organized by Germany and Egypt this year. One of its aims is to pave the way for a successful 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference, commonly referred to as COP27, which is taking place in the Egyptian coastal town of Sharm el-Sheikh in November.