Brussels, 01/04/2015 (Agence Europe) - Germany and France are hopeful that the Paris climate conference (COP 21) this December will lead to the conclusion of a global climate agreement, which is “ambitious and legally binding and commits all countries to act to keep the increase in temperature at 2°C by the end of the century, and which enters into force in 2020”.
The two sides confirmed their intentions at the 17th Franco-German Council of Ministers, which was held in Berlin on Tuesday 31 March and which brought together German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President François Hollande and the ministers of both governments. Paris and Berlin also confirmed their intention of working to make a success of the conference. France, which will chair COP 21, can rest assured that it has a choice ally in Germany.
“Germany will actively support France in the negotiation process”, the final press release reads.
It will soon have two perfect opportunities to do so, as Germany is to host the Petersberg Dialogue (taking its name from a castle close to Bonn) in Berlin on 29 May, which will be attended by Chancellor Merkel. The Petersberg Dialogue on climate change, which started off as an initiative by the chancellor to resume negotiations following the breakdown of the Copenhagen climate conference (COP 15 in 2009), has since grown into a regular forum to bring the views of the parties to the negotiations closer together.
Germany will also chair the G7 summit, to be held at Elmau Castle on 7 and 8 June of this year. The two parties hope that these two meetings will “give greater impetus” to the negotiations, in line with the EU's action plan for climate diplomacy, which aims to create alliances with as many countries as possible with a view to an ambitious agreement in Paris. (Aminata Niang)