Berlin He has already attended many climate conferences: Achim Steiner, head of the United Nations Development Organization (UNDP). The German-Brazilian, the highest-ranking German at the United Nations, has for years been one of those who tirelessly admonishes to do more for climate protection.
“We are in a race against time,” Steiner says in an interview with the Handelsblatt. “Too little has happened in the past few years – on the part of politics and business.”
Before the final spurt of the climate conference in Glasgow, Steiner warned against pillorying individual countries because they were supposedly doing too little. “In Glasgow everyone sits in a glass house,” said the 60-year-old, who had headed the United Nations Environment Program in Nairobi for ten years before starting his job as UNDP. “In this respect, everyone should be careful when referring to other countries.” The USA had been absent for the past four years, now they are back. China has announced that it wants to be CO2-neutral by 2060 – but the question is: What will the country achieve in the next ten years?
Contradictions can be endured on this path, for example with a view to China, which is relying on renewable energies and also on coal power, Steiner said. “In the end, every country has to justify its goals to the global public – that is constantly increasing the pressure.”
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Steiner expects “a lot” from the new German government. He appealed to the likely future coalition partners SPD, Greens and FDP to pursue a policy “that allows great leaps forward with technology and intelligent regulatory instruments”.
Read the full interview here:
Mr. Steiner, the World Climate Conference shows that the gap between aspiration and reality is huge when it comes to climate protection. How do you see the situation?
We’re in a race against time. Too little has happened in recent years – on the part of politics and business. But, and that is encouraging despite advancing climate change, there is now a change in awareness. That is why the many initiatives of the first week, such as the coal partnership with South Africa or the halt in many countries to finance new coal-fired power plants abroad, were a welcome signal.
Are you optimistic that you can limit global warming to 1.5 degrees? The global average temperature has already risen by 1.1 degrees.
Optimism is no longer appropriate in such a situation. Now realism is needed – and that has to be translated into consistent action by politics and business. Announcements for the distant future are not enough. The years up to 2030 are decisive. Only then will we still have a chance of climate neutrality by 2050.
What does that mean for the climate conference? The usual haggling starts there.
At the end of the conference, the ambitions must be greater than the goals agreed in 2015. Countries will go different ways, but no one can escape the responsibility to act faster and more specifically.
Is this targeting China and India, more of which were expected?
In Glasgow everyone sits in a glass house. In this respect, everyone should be careful when referring to other countries. The US has been absent for the past four years – now they are back. China has announced that it wants to be CO2-neutral by 2060 – but: What will the country achieve in the next ten years? And India has made sweeping announcements about the expansion of renewable energies. More than 500 gigawatts are to be connected to the power grid by 2030, which is a huge leap forward.
It is secondary whether China or India want to be CO2 or climate neutral until 2060 or ten years later?
No country is currently on course to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees. In this respect, all countries will have to improve in the next few years. After all, the goal of becoming climate-neutral by the middle of the century has become binding for almost all countries, which should not be underestimated. Two or three years ago it was almost a science-fiction-like idea for many.
And contradictions can be endured on this way? Example China, which relies on renewables and coal power?
Germany is also familiar with the challenge of switching from one energy system to the other. China will continue to rely on coal for the next two or three years to bridge energy bottlenecks, and then the coal infrastructure will be reduced, I assume. This is the only way it can achieve its emissions targets. In the end, every country has to justify its goals to the global public – that is constantly increasing the pressure.
Germany’s role in climate protection
Where do you see the special role of the industrialized countries? They are on the brakes when it comes to financial aid for developing countries.
The industrialized countries must finally get away from viewing climate protection aid as handouts. Developing countries will have to invest billions in their energy systems and adaptation to climate change over the next few years, given that in most cases they are not responsible for the increasing extreme weather conditions.
What do you expect from a new German government?
Very much. The coalition members themselves have given a signal for renewal. My hope is that the new government will also feel strongly committed to multilateralism. Climate change is only one topic, the pandemic and the fight against poverty are others that we as a global community must tackle together.
However, climate protection is apparently already causing initial differences.
My appeal is to pursue a coalition policy that allows great leaps forward with technology and intelligent regulatory instruments. Germany has already proven several times in post-war history that this is possible, and I hope the traffic lights will do that too.
What role do companies have to play?
The economy has moved too slowly for years. Today we can say: some companies do a lot, many do little, some do nothing at all. But the challenges are extremely different. We have to look much more closely at who stands for new solutions and who is clinging to the past. What makes me feel positive: that it is now also evident in corporations that board members see their task not only in generating the highest possible profits for shareholders, but also seeing themselves as guardians of the common good.
Do you have to say goodbye to coal in the summit declaration?
The fact that individual countries are trying to lengthen ways out of the carbon-intensive economy is part of the dynamism of the negotiations. But Glasgow should send a clear signal that coal is on its way into history. If this signal fails to materialize, it would certainly be a missed opportunity.
Mr. Steiner, thank you very much for the interview.
More: “The race to zero emissions has begun” – Which countries are ahead