11th Session of Petersberg Climate Dialogue held

The 11th session of Petersberg Climate Dialogue was held through video conferencing witnessing India along with 30 countries deliberating over ways and means to tackle COVID-19.The Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Prakash Javadekar attended the Petersberg Climate Dialogue and talked about climate technology that must be available at an affordable cost.The 11th session of Petersberg Climate Dialogue was hosted by Germany, and it was co-hosted by the United Kingdom (UK).

11th Petersberg Climate Dialogue: Key Highlights

• Secretary-General Antoni Guterres, in his remarks, talked about the suffering of people and destabilization of the global economy due to COVID-19.
• He talked about strengthening the measures that will limit the global temperature rise.
• Secretary-General asked the countries from all over the world to commit to carbon neutrality by 2050.
• There should be support for those countries that are least responsible for clime change but have been facing its impacts.
• To help developing countries in protecting their populations from climate change, there has been a need for financing. It begins with a promised mobilization of $100 billion US dollars a year for adaptation efforts in developing countries.
• Secretary-General proposed six climate-related actions for climate-resilient growth.
• Countries were encouraged to work together. He also mentioned the common framework for action i.e. 2030 agenda for sustainable development and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.
• He also asked countries to come up with strategies to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.
• G20 countries were also mentioned for their contribution to global emissions. Secretary-General asked for their commitment to carbon neutrality 2050.

Secretary General’s six climate-related actions for the recovery:

• First will be to spend trillions in order to recover COVID-19. He also talked about delivering new jobs and businesses through a clean, green, and just transition.
• Second will be the taxpayer’s money that must be used to create green jobs and sustainable growth.
• Third will be of fiscal firepower shifting economies from grey to green and make people and society more aware of the transition that will be fair to all.
• Fourth, public funds should be invested in sustainable sectors and projects that will help the climate and environment.
• Fifth will be about the global financial system that must take risks and opportunities related to climate in the account.
• Sixth will be to work together as an international community to resolve emergencies.

Importance of communication

• This dialogue is important because it is being organized at a time where the world is grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic, on the other hand, on the ‘Paris Agreement’ adopted under the UNFCCC after 2020 (Post-2020 Period ) Is preparing the strategy to be adopted.

India’s Contributions in the Dialogue:

• India expressed solidarity with the world as it combats the Covid-19 pandemic and emphasised on adopting more sustainable consumption patterns in line with the requirement of sustainable lifestyles.
• India suggested having climate technology as an open source available to all countries at affordable prices.
• India stressed on climate finance and urged to plan for 1 trillion USD in grants to the developing world immediately.
• India highlighted its Nationally Determined Contributions spanning a ten-year time frame and in compliance with the temperature goal of the Paris Agreement.
• India focused on the opportunity to accelerate renewable energy deployment and create new green jobs in the renewable energy and energy efficiency sector.

Petersberg Climate Dialogue

• It has been hosted by Germany since 2010 to provide a forum for informal high-level political discussions, focusing both on international climate negotiations and the advancement of climate action.
• The virtual XI Petersberg Climate Dialogue was co-chaired by Germany and the United Kingdom (UK) and was attended by about 30 countries including India.
• The UK is the incoming Presidency of the 26th Conference of Parties (COP 26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
• COP 25 was held at Madrid, Spain in December 2019.
• This year’s dialogue was crucial because of the efforts to contain coronavirus as well as countries preparing to move into the implementation phase of the Paris Agreement 2015 in the post-2020 period.

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