About 20 hours by plane for a 21-hour stay in Brazil. With his short trip to the COP30 climate conference, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz wanted to show how seriously he takes climate protection.
Friedrich Merz told the heads of state of the world: “These days, we find ourselves at a crossroads,” calling on countries to act responsibly in the interests of long-term security and prosperity.
But we cannot say that Merz excelled as a climate advisor. The current coalition government, formed by the Christian Democratic parties CDU/CSU and the Social Democratic Party, has put economic growth at the top of its agenda, betting above all on industry, infrastructure, digital transformation and the removal of bureaucracy in Germany. Critical voices criticize the government because sustainable growth is now a much lower priority than in previous years.
Doubts about Germany’s emissions targets
According to Merz in Belem, Germany is committed to innovation and technology to stop climate change, not to mention that technologies aimed at significantly reducing emissions in the form of renewable energy have been around for a long time.
Although Merz is committed to German and European climate goals, they are not enough to limit global warming to no more than 1.5 degrees. However, Germany is still considered a leader in climate protection, although it is now questionable whether it will continue to do so.
“In recent months, Friedrich Merz has failed to chart a clear course on climate protection. Rather, he has contributed to creating uncertainty in society,” Martin Kaiser of Greenpeace Germany told DW.
Today, the German people are increasingly suffering from extreme heat and the economy is affected by crop failures and shortages of raw materials, as a result of global warming. According to a study conducted by the Ministry of Economy in 2024, the costs that a warmer world would mean for Germany could reach 900 billion euros in 2050.
How sustainable is German economic policy really?
German Foreign Minister Johan Wadevoll said: “German companies are leaders in clean technologies, the circular economy and water systems. Target-oriented pragmatism: this is what characterizes our government’s climate policy.”
But critical voices wonder what exactly the goals are. They argue that the Paris climate agreement, which Germany is committed to complying with and which the government has also ratified, is far from being achieved with current measures.
Even Germany’s climate neutrality by 2045 is at stake. This was stated by the Expert Council on Climate Issues, an independent body that advises the German government on climate issues. Meanwhile, Economy Minister Katrina Reich is committed to expanding gas infrastructure.
Reich must be convinced that “climate policy is not an economic constraint, but above all aims to ensure long-term prosperity,” says Otmar Edenhofer, director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, in an interview with DW.
What does the German government intend to achieve at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Brazil?
“After the United States withdrew from the Paris climate agreement, it is now necessary to maintain cohesion. We can achieve this,” Environment Minister Carsten Schneider stressed before leaving for Belém.
In 2024, Germany fulfilled its promise and contributed nearly $6 billion to climate finance. According to the NGO Oxfam, this will not be possible given the budget planning for the coming years. So, although more money is needed internationally, Germany is likely to arrive in Belem with empty coffers.
At the beginning of the Heads of State Meeting, Brazil established the Forest Fund to protect tropical forests. It is expected to be fueled by a total of 25 billion in public funds to raise another 100 billion from private investors. The money will be allocated to reward forest protection in tropical countries.
Norway has already pledged $3 billion, Indonesia $1 billion, and France 500 million euros. Germany wants to participate with a large sum, but Merz has not yet been able to determine its size.
(ms/CP)
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