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Last update: July 2012

International climate policy

Addressing climate change is one of the biggest global challenges of the 21st century. The average global temperature on the earth’s surface is continuously increasing due to ever higher carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere, the impacts of which are already evident today. If global warming continues unchecked, it is likely to exceed the adaptive capacity of natural, managed and social systems.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) summarised the current global climate research knowledge in its Assessment Report 2007. The report proved beyond doubt that there is increasing global warming und reiterated that mankind is one of the main causes of this.

In 1992 the international community of states adopted the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and agreed to prevent further dangerous anthropogenic interferences with the climate system. However, the Framework Convention does not set any binding targets to achieve the necessary global reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. As a first step towards such targets, the Kyoto climate change conference in 1997 (COP 3) adopted the Kyoto Protocol. This Protocol was the first legally binding international commitment by industrialised countries to reduce their emissions within a given timeframe. It is the only rule-based instrument in international climate policy to date under which some of the developed countries listed in Annex B to the Kyoto Protocol committed to reducing their emissions in the first commitment period from 2008 to 2012. However, these developed countries do not hold a sufficient share of global emissions to keep global warming below 2 degrees.

In order to ensure that additional efforts to protect the climate are made, the international community agreed at the Bali climate change conference (COP 13) in 2007 to take up negotiations on a comprehensive post-2012 climate agreement (post-2012 international climate protection).

The intention was to conclude the negotiations at the Copenhagen climate change conference (COP 15) in December 2009. However, the very difficult negotiations COP 15 only led to a political agreement, the Copenhagen Accord, which lists some key elements of future climate policy. More than 140 states (including all EU member states) have now joined the Accord. Numerous industrialised and developing countries have submitted specific emission reduction targets or measures for 2020.

The climate change conference (COP 16) in Cancún, Mexico, took place from 29 November to 10 December 2010. Despite difficult negotiations, a package of decisions was adopted at the end of the two-week conference - the Cancún Agreements. They translate the contents of the Copenhagen Accord into United Nations decisions, and in some cases even go beyond this. For the first time, a UN decision recognises the 2°C target. The Cancún Agreements set out voluntary reduction pledges of industrialised and developing countries, and define a work programme for reporting and verifying mitigation measures in industrialised and developing countries, thus increasing transparency. The Cancún meeting also saw the establishment of a new Green Climate Fund. Additionally, states agreed on structures for assisting developing countries and emerging economies with adaptation to the impacts of climate change, with forest conservation and the deployment of climate-friendly technologies. Under the excellent leadership provided by Mexico the international community demonstrated its ability to act on international climate policy in Cancún.

The 2011 climate summit: international breakthrough in Durban

The latest round of UN climate negotiations (COP 17/CMP 7) took place in Durban, South Africa from 27 November to 9 December 2011. The negotiations were extended by two days and led to the adoption of the "Durban package", which marked a turning point in international climate policy. In Durban, the international community agreed that all states - industrialised, emerging and developing countries – will in future be obliged to take more climate action under a protocol, legal instrument or agreed outcome with legal force. A new working group on the Durban Platform (ADP) was established to conduct the necessary negotiations on a legal agreement to be adopted by 2015 and enter into force by 2020. The establishment of the ADP puts an end to the division of the world into industrialised countries which are obliged to reduce emissions and developing countries and emerging economies whose commitment is limited to voluntary activities. In the run-up to the entry into force of the future legal instrument in 2020 the ADP will develop and implement a programme of work to initiate more stringent reductions in greenhouse gas emissions worldwide (also referred to as raising the level of ambition).

Moreover, countries decided in Durban on a second commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol from 1 January 2013 onwards. Unresolved issues such as the length of the second commitment period will have to be resolved by the end of the year, when the next climate summit takes place in Doha/Qatar.

The international community also implemented the decisions taken in Cancún on concrete climate instruments. These include the Green Climate Fund (see above). The Federal Republic of Germany is currently applying for the headquarters of the Fund to be based in Bonn (www.greenclimatefund.de).

The next UN climate change conference (COP 18/CMP 8) will take place in Doha (Qatar) from 26 November to 7 December 2012. Key agenda items include the final formal decision on the second commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol and the shape of the negotiation process for a new agreement up to 2015 (resolution).

Germany at the forefront of international climate protection

Germany and the EU continue to strive for a comprehensive climate agreement that limits global warming to below 2°C compared with pre-industrial times. The German government is a driving force in the international climate process, for example by organising the annual Petersberg Climate Dialogue. The Petersberg Climate Dialogue goes back to an initiative launched by Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel after the climate negotiations in Copenhagen in 2009. It takes place between climate summits and every year brings together environment ministers from industrialised, emerging and developing countries for open discussions. The goal is to speed up progress in the international climate negotiations.

Germany is leading the way with ambitious emission reduction targets at national level: Climate-damaging greenhouse gas emissions are to be reduced by 40% by 2020, 55% by 2030, 70% by 2040 and by 80 to 95% by 2050, compared to the reference year 1990. The long-term Energy Concept lays down how these goals are going to be achieved. The Energy Concept is worldwide a unique instrument which serves as energy policy guidance - regardless of the efforts made by other countries. This makes sense for economic as well as climate policy reasons.

The German government also supports ambitious EU climate targets. Under the German EU Presidency in the first half of 2007 the EU committed to a 20 percent reduction of its emissions compared with 1990. The EU will increase this target to 30 percent if other industrialised countries undertake comparable efforts and emerging economies and developing countries make an adequate contribution as well.