40 countries prepare COP29 at the Petersberg Climate Dialogue

Berlin (dpa) – Representatives of around 40 countries are discussing measures to combat climate change at the Petersberg Climate Dialogue in Berlin. The meeting is intended as preparation for the next COP29 climate conference, which will be held in the Azerbaijan capital Baku in November. In her opening address, Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock stressed the responsibility of the major economies – the G20, including the EU and the US, but also China, India and countries such as Saudi Arabia. 80 percent of emissions are caused by the biggest emitters, namely the G20, so their measures will determine “whether the 1.5 degree target remains in reach”. The goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees compared to the pre-industrial era had been agreed by the international community in Paris in 2015.  

Since 2010, the Petersberg Climate Dialogue has brought selected countries together each year to prepare for the UN Climate Change Conference at the end of the year. It is named after the place where the first conference was held in Bonn, even though the event nowadays takes place in Berlin.