Climate conference in Brazil: progress or failure for the earth?

Climate conference in Brazil: progress or failure for the earth?

The 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference took place in Belém, Brazil, and ended after heated debates without any significant progress in climate protection. How MDR According to reports, governments were unable to agree on a concrete plan to phase out fossil fuels, despite calls from over 80 developed and developing countries. This left many delegated states dissatisfied with the final document.

One goal of the conference was to develop a roadmap for phasing out coal, oil and gas and ending deforestation. But despite the urgent demands of countries like Germany, this plan remained unfulfilled. Brazilian conference chairman André Corrêa do Lago apologized during the final round for the inadequate results and noted that an agreed roadmap to move away from fossil fuels was not achieved. A group of oil-rich states, including Saudi Arabia, blocked progressive measures, severely affecting diplomatic efforts.

What does this mean for climate goals?

According to climate researcher Niklas Höhne, the world is heading for a warming of 2.3 to 2.5 degrees by the end of the century if the climate goals are not consistently implemented. Christoph Bals from Germanwatch emphasizes that more efforts are now needed to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees. A reference to the Dubai agreements shows that countries had committed to tripling renewable energy and doubling energy efficiency by 2030. However, while countries like Germany are stepping up efforts, forest protection was neglected during the conference daily news determines.

Germany plays an essential role in providing financial support to combat climate change. One billion euros will flow into the “Tropical Forest Forever Fund” (TFFF), which aims to mobilize private investment and promote the protection of tropical forests. At least 20% of the funds should directly benefit indigenous communities. In particular, this initiative could promote the reduction of deforestation by 2030. If you look at the urgency of the situation, it is also clear that between 310 and 365 billion US dollars are needed annually for adaptation measures, as UNEP estimates.

A look at the progress in Germany

In central Germany, however, the situation looks more positive. Saxony-Anhalt is reported to be exceeding its wind power targets, while Thuringia and Saxony are falling short of their targets. In addition, the proportion of electric vehicles is growing steadily and the installation of heat pumps is also making progress. Thuringia has also extended its climate pact to provide municipalities with funds for climate protection measures.

Although the results of the conference were disappointing, the top priority remains to reduce emissions quickly. Technologies for CO₂ removal from the atmosphere (CDR) are becoming increasingly important. These include not only forest protection and reforestation, but also innovative approaches, such as spreading rock powder on agricultural land to sequester carbon. Two German companies are working on binding CO₂ through rock powder and developing building materials that can reduce emissions. It is clear that, despite the challenges posed by the blockade of some states, the pressure on fossil fuels must be increased. A transformation conference in Colombia in April 2024 is seen as an opportunity to drive this change forward, emphasized Time.